How popular is sunbathing?
Dr. Kaymen: It’s much more popular than we would like. Here in California you see a lot of tanning parlors. However, what’s good is that we also see a lot of these places that do the spray on self-tanners. Self-tanners are completely safe. Now it doesn’t give you quite the same cosmetic look as a real tan but it certainly is safer. Are there other reasons to avoid sun exposure? Dr. Kaymen: We know that any amount of ultraviolet light can damage the skin, so the more sun you get the more damage you’re doing. There are a couple of different things to think about. One is your risk of skin cancer. The second, which is also important for all women, is the way the sun ages your skin. So if you choose to disregard the skin cancer issue for some reason, you might want to think about the cosmetic issues as well. Tanning does age your skin prematurely. I have never seen a woman over age 40 who wishes they had gotten more sun. They all wish they’d gotten less. How does the risk of tanning beds co
