Dr. Berger, what would you tell patients about tanning beds and skin disease?

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Dr. Tim Berger: Dermatologists in general believe that tanning beds do not have many positive benefits. The risk for melanoma is increased by the use of tanning beds. The risk for other skin cancers probably is increased.

There are certain skin diseases like pseudoporphyria that can be induced by tanning beds. That is not to say we do not use phototherapy even in that wavelength for treatment of some skin diseases, but there is no such thing as a healthy tan.