Well, hello, hello, and you're listening to Beauty Bites with Dr. Kay, Secrets of a Plastic Surgeon,

and today it's time for a five-minute Friday.

Today on the podcast, let's talk all about why I'm doing the podcast with such a bad cold

and allergies because I'm in Washington, D.C., visiting my kids in Georgetown.

But I wanted to be sure to put out a five minute Friday just to talk about all the

reasons you guys need to be careful to avoid tanning beds this prom season and this spring break

season. So what are the top reasons to avoid tanning beds during the spring season? I hear from

lots of my patients that they want to use tanning beds in order

to create a little base tan because, you know, your outfit looks better, your bathing suit looks

better, you get a little base tan, maybe you don't burn at the beach. Well, that is absolutely not

acceptable. So there's no such thing as a base tan, and there's no such thing as a safe,

low level of tanning in a tanning bed that gives you a low-grade tan so you don't burn. This is really

just a sales tactic that's designed by tanning salons to make more money, and it leaves you

unprotected. And remember that tanning beds are a very real

problem. They are definite cancer causers. So don't buy that sales pitch when you hear the

people say they need a base tan. It means you're just doing your first layer of sun damage,

ultraviolet damage and DNA damage to your skin. The controlled low-grade

tanning is not better. Remember that the American Academy of Dermatology research shows that indoor

tanning before the age of 35 increases your risk of developing melanoma by 60%.

And this increases every time you visit a tanning bed.

So, especially for teens who've used tanning beds in their teens,

you're going to see a tremendous amount of sun damage and skin

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