Mothers and daughters have much in common, even indoor tanning habits. A recent survey from the American Academy of Dermatology revealed that young women who tanned indoors were about 4 times more likely to say their mothers had used a tanning bed as well.
Also, 65 percent of the indoor tanners said they had a family member who used a tanning bed compared to 28 percent of their non-indoor tanning peers.
While some aspects of your mom’s beauty routine might be worth adopting, this surely isn’t one of them. Dermatologists say that indoor tanning increases your risk for melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — by about 75 percent. It is also believed that melanoma is on the rise among females 15-29 years old, at a noticeably faster rate than their male peers.
“Mothers who tan indoors are not only putting themselves at risk for skin cancer, but they also may be putting their daughters at risk,” said dermatologist Dr. Ellen S. Marmur, associate professor of dermatology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. “The survey shows how influential mothers can be on their daughters’ behavior, and that is why it’s critical for mothers to set a good example by not tanning.”
More than 3,800 women and girls (ages 14 to 22) participated in the survey. They answered an online survey about tanning habits, attitudes and beliefs. According to the survey, most indoor tanners (94 percent) said their parents were aware of their tanning bed usage.
The survey also showed that some teens and young women feel pressured by peers to have a tan complexion. Respondents who used tanning beds in the past year were nearly twice as likely to report feeling peer pressure to have a tan.
