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Banning teens from indoor tanning salons on the basis that U.V. exposure is harmful to their fragile skin is tantamount to preventing teens from lying outside in their backyard in the summer without sunscreen, or prohibiting teens from hitting the beach without their parents, an absolute absurdity.

When will society stop legislating every aspect of parenting and start leaving certain lifestyle choices to the discretion of parents, who maintain full responsibility of their teen's upbringing, until he or she turns 18?

Tanning salons should be permitted to count teens among their clientele, provided that a few criteria are met, if they are not already:

1) At least one parent must consent in writing with the salon (and according to law, they do) and agree to allow the teen to tan. The parent must affirm that he or she understands the risks associated with the activity.
2) The parent must attend each tanning session with the teen. (This may or may not be the current practice.)
3) The parent must present proper identification along with the teen as proof that he or she is the legal parent or guardian, and is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the teen.

In addition, when offering a tanning service to teenage client, a salon should adhere to certain safeguards as well, in consideration of the vulnerability of the youth's age and skin type.

1) The tanning salon must make a conservative recommendation about maximum U.V. exposure time, to reduce the risk of skin irritation and burning.
2) The personnel at the salon should explain proper skin care, including how to correctly moisturize and exfoliate.
3) The salon staff ought to recommend lotions and gels and alert the teen to the emollients and properties within the products and explain how they protect the skin. (This is common practice in tanning salons.)

Moreover, if the teen (or any other client, for that matter) refuses to adhere to certain standards, such as respecting the recommended maximum exposure time or wearing protective eyewear, the tanning salon should refuse the service to the client.
Likewise, if the teen has a fair and/or freckled complexion not conducive to tanning, the salon should likewise refuse the service to the teen.

With proper precautions in place, teens should be able to use tanning salon facilities. True, tanning, both indoor and outdoor, does elevate skin cancer risks, and is a significant cause of melanoma. However, like everything else in life, moderation is key, and controlled and sparing, albeit very sparing, use of tanning salons isn't as harmful as some activities and substances available in other places.

Besides, from the food we eat, to the air we breathe, to the radiation we (sometimes voluntarily) expose ourselves to on a daily basis, is anything truly safe anymore? Probably even the strictest sun scoffers go outside minus their 60+ SPF protection, once and a while.

There are far more precarious activities that teens could be pursuing, besides attending tanning salons with their parents' permission, so why not cut a sun-starved teen some slack every now and then, and just let him or her tan in peace?

Learn more about this author, Paola Fanutti.
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