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Article: Skin Cancer; Key Q&A.
- Article from:
- NWHRC Health Center - Skin Cancer
- Article date:
- August 15, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 National Women's Health Resource Center. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Are tanning beds safer than the sun?
No. Tanning beds use UVA rays. They may not only inflict the same type of skin and eye damage as the sun, but may also be as much as 20 times stronger than natural sunlight. Although UVA rays are milder than UVB rays--the main cause of sunburn and sun cancer--UVA wavelengths are longer and they penetrate deeper through the skin's layers. UVA rays contribute to wrinkling the skin, as well as to the development of skin cancer.
If someone in my family has had skin cancer, is my risk for developing the disease increased?
Yes. Although sun exposure is responsible for most cases of melanoma, a family history of ...