Little did Amy Holdman know when she was 16 years old that those hours spent in a tanning booth could threaten her life 25 years later. But the 41- year-old Overland Park mother of two has had more than 40 biopsies and several surgeries for a deadly form of skin cancer known as melanoma and wants to ban tanning for Kansas teens.
State lawmakers recently passed a law which would keep anyone under 18 from a tanning booth. That’s good news to dermatologists like Dr. Daniel Aires at The University of Kansas Hospital. He says research shows those who use tanning beds at an early age are more likely to develop deadly skin cancer later in life.
In the video, Amy Holdman talks about how she discovered the problem 25 years after first tanning and why she testified before lawmakers against tanning for teens. She says it’s not about telling people what they can and can’t do with their bodies, but about keeping kids safe. She didn’t’ realize she could die from tanning, and says what she would tell her 16 year old self, as well as teens who want to tan today. She has a warning for adults as well.
Dr. Daniel Aires heads the dermatology department at The University of Kansas Hospital. He explains why tanning is so dangerous, saying you get more ultraviolet radiation from a tanning booth than from the sun. He talks about Amy’s case, why it’s important to catch melanoma early, and most importantly, what you can look for at home. The video also shows Dr. Aires examining Amy in the office.