The alcohol thing again. *sigh* Drinking alcohol in moderation is NOT harmful. You have to drink HUGE amounts of alcohol on a fairly regular basis to develop liver failure. Using a sunbed just once can cause skin cancer. It is NOT the same.

Oh, and smoking is just as stupid as using sunbeds (although it could be argued that it's less dangerous, in that smoking once or twice and never again is unlikely to cause any harm, unlike using a sunbed, where using it just once could lead to skin cancer). However, I accept that it is harder for smokers to stop as there is a chemical addiction there. Sunbed users don't even have that excuse.

I have tanned since i was 16-years-old since I have psoriasis. I go like three to four times a week on the low beds. I normally don't tan for more than 10 to 12 minutes. Tanning can be good for the skin if you don't abuse it. Too much of anything is bad.

you would be surprised. tanning beds do as much if not worse damage like the sun. dermatologists report that that most of the melanoma they remove was from girls who used tanning beds. it only takes a little bit. use a sunless otc tanner in lotion form. a bed isnt any safer than the sun and you have already done enough damage to your skin. i know its for your wedding but there are safer ways and the damage isnt worth it.

Tanning bed are NOT a good idea, at all. It is more likely to get skin cancer from tanning beds, than the actual sun. Do you really want to look like a raisin when you get older? Probably not. I agree with all.in.vanity, get some moisturizer with gradual tanning built in.

its actually for my wedding -- i dont think me using the bed like 20 times will harm me would it? *concern look*

I think I replied in the wrong place. It should have been here. Using a sunbed even just once could put you at an increased risk of developing skin cancer later, particularly if you overdo it and get burnt.

Sun beds are dangerous. They deliver a huge amount of radiation to your skin that damages it (hence the tan) and hugely increase your risk of cancer. Personally I'd rather be pale and alive than tanned and dead. ;D Don't you watch Grey's Anatomy?

Or like others have said, go for a fake tan for the wedding. You could get a spray tan professionally applied if you're worried about doing it yourself.

Is there a real REASON you want to tan up for your wedding? I understand wanting to look amazing on your wedding day, but I didn't tan at all before my wedding (partly for no extra cash, no extra time, but also partly because I've had a couple of skin cancer scares as far as moles) and I still thought I looked pretty great for a REALLY white girl, lol.

I'd forgotten about your skin cancer scares. Perhaps you should share those stories with those here who don't seem to think it's worth worrying about skin cancer.

And you did look great! Pale is not a bad thing!

lol just because other people have skin cancer scares, that isn't going to stop anyone (or me, at least) from tanning. what's stopping me from tanning is pregnancy.

More fool you then.

i tan a lot, and my fiance has had skin cancer 3 times. ( he doesn't tan, and uses sun protection constantly)
it doesn't stop me from tanning.
we also don't have kids, so i don't have to worry about that either.

yeah... i love being outdoors and such -- but i always tan so easilly i get a tanning line i dont have the time or chances to lay in the sun for an hour or so or haf hour then flip...

It might, you never know. Maybe try spray tan. I've never tanned myself though, cos I like being pale, ;D

lol i guess but if its so dangerous why are girls using em ALL the time (seriously i didnt know it was BAD for u) but sadly i PAID for this month and next month

im afraid 2 look orange or get a smudge on my body besides ill be going to hawii i heard its best to get "used to the sun" (via sun beds as well) just to be safe in hawii and not get easily burnt... or something like that

No no no! Don't believe that - using a sunbed before you go on holiday can increase your risk, not the opposite!

im sorry i shoulda had been clear on this -- not being used to the heat/sun on my skin expose i can burn easily compare to here and hawaii the heat is so different, and more sun... i dont want to get a sun burn i dont even know if that makes sense... but i guess i should research it but i just dont know if i really want to risk the spray some are saying it COULD go on the dress... it doesnt last as long but it does frighten me a bit ... i guess i got somet hinking 2 do

i am just confused cuz if they are dangerous to the bodies and it sounds WROST than smoking... i mean smoking IS bad but if u smoke less than the amount u could be in risk of lung cancer... i thought OH maybe the same as tanning beds... a few times wont hurt i guess im wrong

If you burn easily, the risk of skin cancer from sunbeds increases greatly - it won't prevent you burning in hawaii, or if it does, it won't actually prevent skin damage. I don't think that a good spray tan would rub off like that once it had dried, but I'm not a beautician, and would suggest you talk to a professional about your worries and see what they suggest.

Of course, the more you use tanning beds the more of a risk there is, but the only way to protect yourself is to avoid them. (Apparently, using them at all increases your risk of getting skin cancer by 75%) Try googling 'sunbed risks' and see what you think - just don't go into it without knowing the facts.

oh great i did it like 2 years ago ONCE 2 years ago and i did it today

like i said i paid for this month and next month non refundable :-/

Don't do it just because you've paid for it - if you think through the risks and want to go ahead, that's up to you - but don't let the money be a factor. If you'd paid for 200 cigarettes, would you smoke them anyway because you'd paid for them? Don't think so!

Almost all my friends who have gotten married got spray tans before their weddings. And none of them complained that it ended up on the dress.

If you want to ignore our advice, then that's our choice, but I wouldn't expect anyone to come on here and say "yes, sunbeds are safe". Because they're not. We've explained to you that they're dangerous (potentially even if you only use one once) and can lead to skin cancer. If having a tan is more important to you than your life, then go ahead, but it's pointless asking the same thing again and again on here because the answer won't change.

It's not a case of sunbeds or smoking being 'worse'. BOTH are dangerous, and both can kill you (even in small amounts). Although smoking once probably won't increase your risk of lung cancer... using a sun bed just once CAN increase your risk of skin cancer.

i didnt know that some 1 told me "wouldnt u be worried about the stuff on the dress?" when i had my concerns about the burn lol

i wont ingore it... ill take it up for a consideration :-) thanks!

i was kinda expecting people WHO are tanning in beds (theres a few bloopers that does it on a regular basic)

unfortanly theres PRO and CONS on this (i just looked this up ARGH i just lost it and i cant find it) saying dont do it if u are under 16 red hair has alot of freckles/moles blah blah BUT for the spring time it prevent the fatigures... summer ready for the holidays it was like BOTH has pro and cons how scary is that?!

i appericate your imput in this! :-) it sure making me think more...

i wonder -- for skin cancer... how would ANY 1 know they have em? :-/

Just because other Bloopers may use sun beds and have been OK so far, and haven't developed skin cancer YET, does not make them safe.

Yes, light exposure can help people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, but there are other ways of getting this, besides sunbeds. And anyway, it isn't spring, and you don't have SAD. So those pros don't apply to you. The cons however (and increased risk of skin cancer) apply to everyone at any time of year. They by far outweigh any health benefits. And yes, children and people with pale skin and red hair (like me!) would be at an even higher increased risk in using sunbeds but ANYONE, regardless of their age or skin tone is at a significantly increased risk of skin cancer if they use sunbeds.

As for detecting skin cancer... new moles or freckles, or moles that have changed in shape size or colour should be checked by a doctor as they could be skin cancer. Especially if they're dark in colour, contain more than one colour, assymetrical in shape or over 5mm in diameter.

Sadly people often don't notice until it's too late though. And malignant melanoma (skin cancer) is an extremely aggressive cancer which spreads quickly to the brain (which may cause personality changes, confusion, memory problems, visual problems, seizures and hallucinations amongst other symptoms) and other organs such as lung and liver. And it kills. One in five people who develop malignant melanoma die from it. It is the most common cancer in people aged 15 - 35.

I didn't get any tanning for my wedding (sunbathing, tanning bed usage, spray on, or otherwise) but for my junior and senior proms I got spray on tans and they didn't smudge, weren't orange, didn't rub off on the dress (or any other clothing for that matter), and faded away evenly. You just have to research where you're going and who's doing it to be sure you don't get a cheap job!

If you don't want to be sun burnt, use suncream.