Do tanning beds really give people skin cancer?

Today, I'm off of school, and I would like to go tanning since it's not busy on a week day, but my mom always tells me not to because you can get cancer and their unhealthly for your skin. She keeps telling me to wait for 11 days intil I go to Florida, but I don't want to go their so white, what should I do. tan, or wait for Florida??

Yes tanning beds increase your chances of getting skin cancer by as much as 8 times. And getting a "base tan" from the tanning bed does not protect you from getting cancer when you are expecting to get real sun later on.

Try the self tanning gels like some others have suggested, and try looking at some middle aged women who tanned heavily when they were young, heavy tans when you are young do not age well. Source(s): http://www.cancer.org/docroot/nws/conten...

Of course they can... I'm living proof.
A tan is harmful for you. It's what causes skin cancer and dark patches as you grow older.
Do not stay in the sun unprotected or use tanning beds at all.
You are asking for trouble.
Never tan anywhere. Use sunscreen or you'll be a wrinkled brown cancer ridden prune...at 30.
It depends how white you are actually. If you are pale, and burn, your chances of developing skin cancer skyrocket. However gentle tanning is not harmful, in fact I've heard of studies that show that in places where people get more sun they have less risk of cancer overall, this probably has to do with the vitamin D that your body produces from sunlight, or tanning beds.

So whatever tanning you do, take it easy, if you burn it's bad. So use sunscreen all the time.

Think of it this way, your ancestors were likely pale because they lived in places with less sunlight throughout the year, thus their skin is made to get the most benefits from the sun in a short period. Whereas people who's ancestors come from places with a lot of sun exposure will be darker. So your body generally isn't meant to get too much sun, and that's where the problem comes from, because it gets damaged more easily.

All that said, go tanning but if you're pale keep it short, and when you're on vacation make sure not to get too much sun especially if you lack a base tan. If you avoid skin damage you won't get skin cancer, you won't get pruny skin, and it'll be nutritious for you(because of the vitamin D that you make).

Hope this helps.
Yes, you can toast your skin from the heat of the lamps, not just the UV light. Repeated heat exposure causes pernament skin redness, lesions, thin skin and thermal cancer.

Wait until Florida and suntan naturally and don't bake yourself. Keep your skin cool.