Use of tanning bed is very common practice in many parts of the world. Have you ever thought this habit can lead to skin cancer? A recent study has found that more people use the tanning bed in early days of life. They could be at risk of getting melanoma, a kind of skin cancer, even before turning 40.

The research was done on women diagnosed with melanoma and was published in JAMA Dermatology. Two women, Rachel Hagan and Surina Howard, were part of the study among other 63 women group researched. Hagan is a light-skinned and was 34 when doctor spot a mole on her leg, which indicated that she had melanoma, while Howard is darker and was diagnosed with the skin cancer at the age of 20, when a tiny spot on her forehead was declared melanoma.

The research found that both women suffered melanoma as they used tanning bed in their teens, to which Hagan shared similar opinion, while Howard believed this must be related to her too much of exposure to sun as being a softball player. This finding let to the insight that at young age more use of tanning bed leads to more skin cancer. Both women are now cancer free.

"The younger population, they don't appreciate that those consequences can be down the road and they can be very serious, we’re identifying melanoma in younger and younger patients and women in particular," said Dr. Elizabeth Spenceri, the doctor with Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center. According to Dr. Spenceri, people who tan regularly should go for regular skin self-exams and visit specialist every year and favors indoor tanning restrictions.