text: Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!\n\nI'm a med student currently on my surgery rotation, and we see a lot of 20-year-olds with skin cancer and the majority of them have a history of tanning bed use.  It's a major risk factor for skin cancer...   Tanning outside isn't better.  Either use self-tanner (I know, they're difficult to use) or use a tanning lotion with UV-B protection and apply generously according to the directions on the bottle.