FAKE OR BAKE?

(Read the facts, then decide for yourself)

GENERAL SKIN CANCER FACTS

  • Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.
  • Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than all other cancers COMBINED!
  • ONE IN FIVE Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime!
  • Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer; it is rarely fatal, but can be highly DISFIGURING.
  • Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer. More than 1.8 million cases are diagnosed each year, resulting in approximately 15,000 deaths.
  • Basal cell and squamous cell are the two major forms of non-melanoma skin cancer. Between 40-50% of Americans who live to age 65 will have either skin cancer AT LEAST ONCE.
  • About 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the SUN.
  • Up to 90% of visible skin damage attributed to aging (wrinkles, age spots, fine lines, sagging, etc.) are caused by the SUN.
  • An estimated 197,700 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in 2022, resulting in nearly 7,650 deaths.. Melanoma causes more than 75% of skin cancer deaths.
  • MORE THAN 20 AMERICANS DIE EACH DAY FROM SKIN CANCER. TWO PEOPLE DIE OF MELANOMA EVERY HOUR.
  • Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 YEARS OLD and the second most common form of cancer for young adults 15-29 YEARS OLD!
  • Women under the age of 49 have a higher probability of developing melanoma than any other cancer except breast and thyroid cancer.
  • ONE BLISTERING SUNBURN IN CHILDHOOD OR ADOLESCENCE, MORE THAN DOUBLES A PERSON'S CHANCE AT DEVELOPING MELANOMA LATER IN LIFE.
  • A person's risk for melanoma doubles if they've had 5 or more SUNBURNS AT ANY AGE.

WHAT ABOUT INDOOR TANNING?

  • Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven carcinogen (a cancer-causing substance).
  • The very FIRST exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75%.
  • People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.
  • Tanning beds/booths give off 10 to 13 times the (UVA) radiation than the sun does. The rays from a tanning bed are long-wave (UVA) rays instead of short-wave (UVB) rays you get from the sun. UVA rays don't burn your skin like UVB rays do, but they do bore deeper into your skin causing more permanent damage.
  • The combination of UVA and UVB radiation can result in burning the eyes cornea. Longtime exposure can result in cataracts and ocular melanoma, and can also suppress your immune system.
  • New studies find a 22-36% overall increased risk of melanoma among people who have EVER used a tanning bed, and that users under age 30 increased their risk of melanoma nearly 8 times BY USING TANNING BEDS 10 TIMES OR MORE IN 1 YEAR!

NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU CHOOSE TO TAN, WHETHER IT'S FAKING IT WITH INDOOR TANNING OR BAKING OUT IN THE SUN, THE END RESULT IS THE SAME: SKIN THAT HAS TURNED TAN IS EVIDENCE IT HAS BEEN RADIATED! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A HEALTHY TAN!!! THIS YEAR IN TENNESSEE ALONE, THERE ARE 1,410 PREDICTED CASES OF MELANOMA! WILL YOU BE ONE?

NOW, HAVING SAID ALL THAT....

It's absolutely true that everyone looks better with a little color! Having a "faux tan" is the easiest way to drop 10 lbs, and 10 years in only 10 minutes! It's ironic that in a celebrity obsessed society such as ours, people still choose to risk getting skin cancer, or at the very least, skin damage all for the sake of vanity, and the celebrities/models they admire wouldn't dare gamble their health, skin, or careers by faking or baking themselves tan!! They have had sunless tans applied for years, most likely in the privacy of their homes by a mobile spray tan technician to the stars!