Over summer, some people lather on the sunscreen and try not to get burnt, while others lay out by the pool every day to see how can they can get in those few short months. If you are the latter, you should know some things before you lay yourself out to fry.

We’ve probably all heard the scary fact, someone who tans in a tanning bed is 74% more likely than someone who doesn’t to develop melanoma skin cancer. Sunbathing can be just as bad for you.

Forget about cancer though, tanning causes your skin to age prematurely. Meaning wrinkles – early. No twenty year old should have to deal with night creams that their mother uses to try to fix the wrinkles that developed from tanning too much when they were a teenager.

But honestly, tanning is a part of summer. We go to the pool with our friends, and sunbathing is relaxing, and getting a tan over the summer is in fashion. So if you’re going to do it, make sure you do it safely.

• Always. Always. ALWAYS. use sunscreen. No less than SPF15, but more than SPF30 is even better. Not doing so puts you at an even greater risk of skin cancer. Wearing sunscreen also usually makes your tan actually tan, not red, so it’s worth it.
• Re-apply after two hours.
• About one hour a day is enough. More than that and your skin will be in pain.
• Try using tanning lotions and bronzers to get the color you want without the damage of the sun.