Q: As you know,summer is coming to an end. I want to keep my tan but I'm a little freaked out by the tanning bed. Should I go or not go?
A: A tanning bed uses bulbs that very closely simulate the light of the sun. They are a good way to keep a healthy tan -- just don't overdo it and never burn. it's burns that are all the problems. Which is why tanning beds can be better than sun because it's a more controlled environment. I recommend you use a salon that is "Smart Tan Certified." And don't listen to the people who say to spray tan instead -- I mean, you are avoiding something that is perfectly natural (we are MEANT to get more sun than we do -- we need the cancer-fignting Vitamin D and sunlight on your skin -- NOT milk or vitamins -- is the natural way to absorb that vitamin) for something that coats your body in chemicals. Yeah, that's smart. And someone else said that your risk of cancer goes up -- that is not true. Did you know that most skin cancers appear in places that almost never see daylight? Here is a great website: