Everyday someone decides to harm him or herself by getting a tan. Little do they know how much harm they are doing to themselves. Everyday someone also discovers they have skin cancer. Do not let that day come for you. Protect yourself and those around you by remembering exposure to harmful tanning is dangerous.

Many people believe a nice tan is a sign of beauty and good health. I couldn't disagree with that statement more. However, I do agree with Dr. Oz in his statement, "a tan really is not beautiful; it's a walking advertisement for skin cancer." Yet, for a very long time in American society, a tan has been an ultimate factor of beauty. This is untrue; tans are dangerous, not beautiful.

Tans are created by harmful ultraviolet radiation. MSN stated that the amount of people diagnosed with skin cancer due to tanning is greater than the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer due to smoking. Skincancer.org has wrote that around 2 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Skincancer.org also stated, "Over the past three decades, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.” Teens are prone to even more hazards due to their growth rates being so fast paced. Specifically beware of salons that tell you their tanning method is safe because they use UVA rays instead of UVB rays. They are lying to you. Both are alike and extremely dangerous.

Not only is tanning harmful to your health, it is also damages your appearance. Tanning can cause climatic premature skin problems. The FDA stated that dilemmas from tanning include wrinkles, brown spots, and lax skin, and can also do severe damage to your eyesight. Throbbing burns are also included as side effects from tanning. All of these side effects just for a tan!

Do not forget, exposure to harmful tanning is dangerous, not beautiful. Skin cancer is something that can easily be protected, so why put yourself in danger? It may look nice for a short time, but I promise it will bite you in the back. Skincancer.org wrote “One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime”. Don’t become part of the statistics. After stating my reasons I have two questions for you. Do you still believe a tan is beautiful? Is a tan still worth it?