With the winter months approaching and summer tans fading, many are flocking to tanning salons in hope of a year round bronze.

The perceived risk of tanning salons seems to outweigh its benefits. According to the Indiana State Medical Association’s website, “continual tanning, especially in tanning beds, can develop melanoma – the most dangerous type of skin cancer.”

But users are not so easily convinced. Kathleen Rumbolz, Cerritos College student and employee at California Tan in Long Beach, points out, “tanning beds are safer than the sun; outdoors you have no control over what kind of UV rays you come into contact with. In here, we can control it.”

Another California Tan employee, Amber Nelson says, “Its healthier to be in here than to be in the sun.” Rumbolz is not convinced by the recent medical studies. She points out that often the people used in those studies tanned for years, many in beds very unlike those used today.

The skincancer.dermis.net website supports this claim. “Right now there are not many good studies that determine the carcinogenic effect of tanning beds. However, research studies do show that UVA rays cause premature skin aging and wrinkling.”

Rumbolz is not worried about this situation. “Everyone gets old and gets wrinkles. Its excessive use of the beds that give you wrinkles prematurely.”

On the International Smart Tan Network web site, flaws in the methodology of the studies are introduced.

One of the most compelling arguments against the validity of the studies is that “nearly 60 percent of the indoor tanners used in this study started tanning indoors before 1975.” The page explains that because there was no commercial tanning until 1979, the subjects of this experiment were using equipment, much unlike the modern equipment used in salons today.

Rumbolz also points out that the sun, “contains UVA rays and the beds don’t. UVA rays are what cause cancer.”

But the Federal Trade Commission warns that both UVA and UVB rays can be harmful. On it’s website it states, “Short-wave ultraviolet rays called UVB can burn the outer layer of skin. Long wave ultraviolet rays called UVA penetrate more deeply and can weaken the skin’s most connective tissue.”

Rumbolz explained that there may be risks associated with tanning, but there are risks everywhere.

She explains that skin cancer is determined by many factors. “If you take care of yourself and go to the dermatologist, you wont get skin cancer.”