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" Young people are being encouraged to use sunbeds by friends and family members, new research suggests. A poll of 176 sunbed users between the ages of 18 and 24 found that 40 per cent had been encouraged to use them for the first time by friends, while 26 per cent had received encouragement from a family member or partner. Three out of ten sunbed users in this age group said they had first used a tanning device to improve their appearance. The findings, which were published by Cancer Research UK, indicate that many young people are risking their health and the appearance of their skin by using sunbeds. Yet more than a quarter of 18 to 24-year-old sunbed users admitted they were not bothered by the implications. Chris Lunn, manager of the charity&amp;#039;s SunSmart campaign, described the findings as &amp;#039;surprising&amp;#039;. He remarked: &amp;#039;We may all want to improve our appearance to help alleviate the mid-winter gloom, but sunbeds aren&amp;#039;t the answer. &amp;#039;As well as increasing your risk of skin cancer, you could be left with wrinkles, leathery skin and age spots. If you must have a tan, faking it is the best option.&amp;#039; Use of sunbeds by under-18s was recently banned in England and Scotland after a review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that people who start using sunbeds before the age of 35 increase their risk of melanoma skin cancer by 75 per cent. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a21967/young-sunbed-users-encouraged-by-friends-and-family/>