People are increasingly turning to indoor tanning as a form of stress relief, a new study has found.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina quizzed 706 female college students aged 18 to 25 on what motivates them to bake under artificial light.
While the majority cited an 'improved appearance' as a major reason, many also noted that the practice reduces stress and makes them feel relaxed.
Feeling the heat: People are increasingly turning to indoor tanning as a form of stress relief, a study has found
Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Dr Seth Noar said: 'We found that appearance is important, but we found that other factors to be equally or even more important.
'For instance, many of these young women reported really enjoying the experience of tanning indoors.
'They reported that it reduces stress and is relaxing to them. In the study, we called this factor ‘mood enhancement’”
But while salon tanning might have a positive emotional effect, Dr Noar warned of the increased risk of skin cancer.
Of the young women surveyed, 45per cent said they had used tanning beds in their lifetime, with 30per cent using one in the last year.
Most of the users started tanning indoors in their teens and did so despite knowing the health dangers.
Dr Noar and his team highlight that those most susceptible to developing skin cancer are sunbed users younger than 35 – with a 75per cent increased risk of melanoma.
While the cancer can be treated when detected early, the prognosis worsens considerably when it has spread to other parts of the body.
More than 3.5million people are diagnosed worldwide with skin cancer each year.
It's estimated that more than 28million people use tanning beds each year, and the number of tanning parlors in most U.S. cities is greater than the number of Starbucks or McDonalds.
The findings were published last month in the JAMA Dermatology journal.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2574080/Boosting-mood-skin-cancer-How-tanning-beds-used-form-stress-relief-young-women.html#ixzz2v99LMRQc
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