Their findings, published in the October issue of Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research, say that exposure to UV radiation, from sunbathing or indoor tanning beds can cause DNA damage, photoaging - damage to the skin from chronic exposure to sunlight - and skin cancer.
The researchers from St. George's, University of London and University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque called for a ban on children using sunbeds, and any publicity claiming sunbeds were a safer option.
The findings also added that benefits of UV rays, such as vitamin D production, are overstated and it is a myth that tanning indoors is safe. Scientists say that vitamin D can be safely obtained from various food supplements.
UV radiation is the most prevalent cancer-causing agent for humans. An estimated 60,000 people each year die from overexposure to ultraviolet light, mostly from malignant melanoma -- the deadliest form of skin cancer, according to the World Health Organization.
