Sunbed use before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing malignant melanoma by 75%, yet up to 14% of young people aged 11 - 17 years in Scotland, and around 6% in England, report having used sunbeds (view the report from the research from the British Medical Journal).

The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010, which came into force in April 2011, prevents tanning salons from offering services to people under the age of 18 years.

New research from Cancer Research UK has shown that the skin cancer risk is more than double that associated with spending the same length of time in the Mediterranean midday summer sun, with up to 90% of sunbeds in England emitting ultra-violet radiation levels greater than the recommended British and EU limit.

Considering this cancer risk, and the photo-aging effects of UV radiation, the advice from experts is that using sunbeds just isn't worth it.