Working on a bronze golden tan has quickly become one of the hottest fashion fads, but the risks that come along with it haven’t.

Sitting out in the heat of the sun for hours while applying tons of tanning oil may help some people achieve that golden look they want; however, it can also be accompanied by some damaging skin problems.

Repeated exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer and premature aging of the skin, which can lead to wrinkles eariler then expected.

Sunscreen can only protect a person for so long. Also, most usually apply sunscreen once and it is typically a low SPF.

There are three types of skin cancer: Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the more serious Malignant Melanoma.

Damaging the skin cells causes these cancers; the specific type of cancer depends on the nature of the damage and the pigmentation of the patient’s skin tone.

Aside from outdoor tanning there are alternative methods to achieving the golden tone some desire.

A popular method of tanning, that has grown in the last seven years is indoor tanning beds or booths.

The UV rays a person is exposed to while in a tanning bed are UVA, less damaging than UVB rays given off by the sun. The UVA rays have a longer wavelength, which prevent people from burning.

Over a short period of time and repeated exposure to tanning beds a person not only can get a nice tan, but cancer too.

There are a few different methods to receiving the tan we all crave so much, which don’t involve the sun, or any UV rays at all.

Sunless tanning is another method of obtaining a golden tan. It usually comes in a foam, spray or lotion. Sunless tanning basically dyes the skin a darker shade.

A few drawbacks to a sunless tan are a fading color; it only lasts for a few weeks with repeated application.

Applying it by yourself can lead to a zebra like look because it causes streaks or stripes in the color. It can also make someone’s skin tone look strange and give it unnatural yellow tint.

Another method is tanning pills. Some of these over the counter drugs don’t typically work, but they are harmless.

These pills are supposed to darken the pigmentation of a person’s skin tone naturally using natural ingredients. In a study from TanningSite.com, it concluded that the tanning pills are worthless.

If it sounds too good to be true it usually is. The pills cost approximately $13 to $40.

The last method that doesn’t involve the sun or UV rays is happiness. If people weren’t so obsessed with their physical appearance the perfect tan would be obsolete.

Some music and movie sensations could be to blame for the need some have for a nice tan. In recent interviews, Britney Spears admitted to having a tanning bed on her tour bus.

Teenage females are inclined to want to be like Spears, which is why 11.2 percent of females who tan are between the ages of 13 to 14 years of age, and 47 percent of females aged 18 to 19 used tanning beds; this appeared in the September issue of Archive of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. People should be aware of the risks of tanning, in order to decide if sacrifing their health for a golden tan is worth it.

Taking precautions such as applying sunscreen, which will protect a person’s skin from cancer is well worth it.