In the 1800’s, it was a sign of beauty and status to be pale, as it proved one didn’t have to labor outside.

But those days are long gone. Now nearly 2.3 million American teenagers visit tanning salons every year. While some use lotions and sprays, others turn to tanning beds and booths.

Junior Katie Estep started tanning in January, when she participated in the Miss Sacramento Valley International beauty pageant. At the pageant, Estep said, it was encouraged for girls to tan—whether it be spray, bed or booth tanning. Estep said that only a couple girls didn’t booth tan.

“There was never a threat to take off points, but being tan was encouraged and they were willing to set up a time for you to be sprayed,” Estep said.

Estep, however, tanned in a booth, where she stood and had UV rays projected on her from 360 degrees. She said that spray tans often end up looking orange and streaky. She tanned two to three times a week and then every day for three days before the pageant.

The tanning salon ensured that her parents were aware of the risks by making them sign a form. She also bought protective eyewear and special lotions.

California requires one to be over 14 to booth tan; teenagers 14-18 need a parent’s consent.

Estep’s favorite part about tanning was that it was time spent relaxing, she said. Tanning booths include air conditioners, fans, misters, radios and even sprays of fragrance.

Unfortunately, these relaxing tanning devices are also dangerous. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, chances for getting melanoma, the second most common form of skin cancer, are significantly increased after indoor tanning. There are over 2,500 deaths due to melanoma each year. Of all skin cancers, melanoma is the most linked to cumulative ultraviolet exposure.

The danger of tanning beds is due to ultraviolet radiation: ninety-five percent UVA and five percent UVB. The beds are lined with fluorescent bulbs that are made to imitate the light that comes from the sun. When one goes into a booth or a bed, they must wear protective eye wear, as the UV rays can damage eyes.

According to the Foundation, another problem with UV tanning is the aging effects, including wrinkles, leathering and fine lines. These can be seen as early as your 20’s if you start tanning in your late teens.

Estep has not noticed any harmful physical effects and said she isn’t worried because skin cancer does not run in her family.

Freshman Bridgette Hinton started tanning in a bed about three weeks before Prom. She stopped because of the expense and said she did not notice any physical effects.

Estep tanned about a dozen times, even after the pageant was over, as she still had part of the package she purchased left. Now, she only goes every so often so that she won’t have to worry as much about getting sunburns.

According to www.tanningtruth.com, an indoor tan will act as a base tan so that you will not burn when you go in the sun. This statement has been proven false by the Skin Cancer Foundation, as they state that any of the UVA or UVB rays can cause skin cancer.

Estep said she booth tans because it takes much less time to reach the desired look than lying in the sun. “What I get in a tanning bed for 8-15 minutes takes me, like, four hours to get the same tan [in the sun],” Estep said.

There are safer ways to tan, but they take longer. Jergens makes a lotion that gradually darkens skin so that you will not look orange. Neutrogena makes a variety of different self-tanning lotions, foams and sprays—some even include sun protection.

Tanning has not only harmful physical effects, but mental effects as well. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have found that tanning may be addictive.

State laws are being considered to restrict indoor UV tanning restricted to people over 18. Currently there are 28 states and four countries that enforce this law. Seven states have introduced the bill and are awaiting changes.