Nichole Sims started using a tanning bed when she was 15. Everyone around her was doing it, so she did too. Eight years later, doctors discovered that she had melanoma, a serious skin cancer. These days, tanning is becoming popular again, and social media is helping it spread. Some even say that getting a tan improves your mood and makes you look beautiful. To fight these false ideas online, Sims now shares her own story.

Experts are worried about this trend. Researchers found that people who use tanning beds have almost three times the risk of developing melanoma. Tanning beds can give off more than 10 times as much UV light as the sun. This strong light can damage skin cells and lead to cancer.

Many young people do not understand these risks. A "base tan" is a light tan you get before more sun exposure. In a 2025 survey, more than half of young adults believed it could protect them from sunburn. In fact, it cannot. Some online videos even tell people that sunscreen causes cancer, but this is wrong.

The message is simple. "There's really no such thing as a safe tan," one skin doctor said. Parents can help, too. One way is to set a good example by protecting their own skin. Another is to keep sunscreen where children can easily reach it.