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Tanning beds are as carcinogenic as asbestos and tobacco, the International Agency for Research on Cancer determined today. They elevated the risk from 'probably carcinogenic' to the highest cancer risk category--group 1--'carcinogenic to humans.'

But a little thing like that won't keep the powerful U.S. tanning bed industry from trumpeting the safety--even the health benefits--of lying down while powerful lights pummel your body with carcinogenic UV rays. "The UV light from a tanning bed is equivalent to UV light from the sun, which has had a group 1 classification since 1992," says Dan Humiston, president of the Indoor Tanning Association, which has "always emphasized the importance of moderation when it comes to UV light from either the sun or a tanning bed."

Tempted to believe him? Couldn't swing that Maui getaway this year but want to look great? Inspired by Sarah Palin's tan? Don't be fooled: Tanning beds are really, really, really bad for you. Consider:

• Individuals who use tanning devices before age 30 are at a 75 percent increased risk of skin melanoma -- the most dangerous form of skin cancer, causing about 8,650 deaths a year in the US alone.
• "Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA doses compared to those they receive from sun exposure" says Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. In the Foundation's response to the IARC's announcement, she refers to tanning beds as coffin beds.
• "Many tanning beds emit UVA rays, which don't burn but penetrate to the deeper layers of skin, increasing the risk of DNA damage and skin cancer," says Jessica Wu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles and an expert for EverydayHealth.com.
• According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, tanning beds increase not only your risk of melanoma but also premature aging, eye damage, direct injury to blood vessels, collagen breakdown, age spots,and oh yes, basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers.
  

"Sitting in the sun is less dangerous than a tanning bed," says Dr. Wu. "At least at the beach, after a certain amount of time your skin burns, and you go indoors." Even moderate exposure can cause permanent damage, she warns.

That doesn't make the sun safe, of course. While vitamin D is a good thing, you can get it with just a few minutes in a sun, as well as through dietary sources, such as fish and low-fat milk. And there's no such thing as a safe tan--unless it comes from a bottle.

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When I entered my first tanning bed at the age of 16, I thought I was doing a good thing and avoiding the dangers of the sun. The tanning salon perpetuated that idea, claiming that tanning beds were a safer way to get my daily dose of vitamin D than soaking up the sun. My mom felt otherwise--but she's my mom and I was 16. Of course I wasn't going to listen.

But as I've come to learn, Mom is always right. I had no idea that, just like sun tanning, a tanning bed put me at risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. I was just trying to look good for junior prom.

Today's teens who want to get that faux glow for prom have a much tougher time of it than I did. Seventeen states are considering laws banning indoor tanning for children under 14 (unless it is deemed medically necessary) and also requiring teens between the ages of 14 and 17 to have a signed consent form from their parent or guardian.

That's great and all, but what about adults who insist on tanning? I've heard various reasons why people well over the age of 18 continue to tan, from it being a favorite summertime pastime to using it to disguise figure flaws. But with over 62,000 adults getting diagnosed with skin cancer every year, perhaps it's time to pass a law requiring adults to sign a waiver before setting one pale foot in a tanning bed. Having to stop and acknowledge that what you're doing is bad for your health may be cause enough to stop and think twice.

My prom days ended over 10 years ago now (sigh), and I have not set foot in a tanning bed since. I also make sure my daily moisturizer has sunscreen in it and I cover up at the beach. I've learned to listen to my mom, about my skincare regimen at least, mostly because her skin does not look like that of someone who's approaching her mid-50s.

--Jennifer Merritt

Producer