Get a Tan Via Computer? 30K Believed It

Researchers blame tanning beds

(NEWSER) - Researchers expected a rise in skin cancer among young women—but they didn't expect this: Between 1970 and 2009, melanoma became eight times more common among women 18 to 39 and four times higher among men in that age group, Time reports. "There is currently a melanoma epidemic in the US, particularly in young women and middle-aged men," notes a Mayo Clinic dermatologist and researcher involved in the study. The increase among women is likely tied to tanning salons, the experts say. More»

(NEWSER) - Tanning beds have been upgraded from a probable carcinogen to a definite cause of cancer by World Health Organization experts, Newsday reports. The scientists analyzed over 20 studies and promptly moved the beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation into their top category of cancer risks. They concluded that using tanning beds before age 30 raises a person's skin cancer risk by 75%. More»

(NEWSER) - A website that claims to "tan" people as they bask in front of their computer screen has drawn a million duped viewers, reports the Daily Telegraph. The fake infomercial site by a British skin cancer charity directs pasty viewers to a free tanning trial on a web page where they can absorb ultra-violet rays and get that "just-back-from-vacation" look in the office. More»

New studies say tanning is addictive, sunscreen increases risk of melanoma

(NEWSER) - Tanning may be addictive, and sunscreen use may actually increase the risk of melanoma, according to a Slate round-up of new research about the effects of sun on skin. In a study aimed at testing the long-held theory that UV rays stimulate endorphins, researchers gave a group of sunbathers a drug blocking endorphin receptors The frequent tanners among them indeed presented symptoms of withdrawal. More»

'Yes for Scotland' campaign targets 2014 vote

(NEWSER) - Supporters of Scottish independence are about to officially kick off their campaign to end the country's 305-year-old marriage to England and Wales. The "Yes for Scotland" drive is being spearheaded by Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond, whose party won a majority in Scottish elections last years, reports Reuters . His party wants the independence referendum to be held in 2014, on the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, in which a small force led by Robert the Bruce defeated a much bigger English force. More»