Must Know: The Darkest Sides Of Tanning

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Having a tan skin is mostly what white people want because it symbolizes wealth and beauty. However, a prolong and constant exposure to sunbeds will only do harm than good to the skin and to health.

Many people often go to tanning salons where they can find tanning beds. But per Daily Mail, Dr. Chris Steele, a resident doctor on ITV's This Morning daytime magazine show explained the effects and precautions of using sunbeds.

He said that constant use of sunbeds can eventually damage the skin. He urged people to watch out for changes to the moles and freckles, watching out for a change in size, color, and to always check whether the moles feel itchy, bleeding, or flaking.

Sunbeds uses ultraviolet (UV) rays that are six times stronger than that of the midday summer sun to attain the desired tanning. With a constant exposure to these rays, a person may be put at risk for skin cancer. People who use sunbeds before the age of 35 have a greater risk of melanoma.

A survey by Cancer Research UK found out that people who live in Liverpool, United Kingdom are at the highest risk of being diagnosed with melanoma. It is because 40% of people admit that they use tanning beds at least once a week thinking that it will boost vitamin D to help their skin be healthy.

Melanoma is a skin cancer usually caused by the tanning bed's ultraviolet (UV) rays. It is the most aggressive type of cancer because it begins in the skin and spreads to other organs in the body.

Laura May McMullan, skin cancer survivor, told BBC News about her story being a tanning addict. "Having a tan made me feel better about myself. I used to say it was like a "tonic" - it made me feel more confident and healthier but in reality, my overwhelming desire to be tanned couldn't have been unhealthier."

Luckily, Laura survived the ordeal of having a skin cancer and live to tell everyone about the effects of it in her life. "I still feel a bit doing tanning today. I sometimes struggle to accept the way I look being completely pale. But instead, I use a tan spray on my face to give me a healthy glow."

Health officials always warn the public about the harmful effects of sunbeds However, people just rejects it and continue to have their beauty rather than their health.