Having several people with melanoma in our family, I know firsthand what kind of a crisis the sun can cause to a person's life. My dad has surgery (in the hospital and with a general) every six months for his. That's not including the smaller surgeries done in the doctors office. He was diagnosed in 1991 and has lived longer with it than almost anyone else.

We have a number of doctors in our family, one of whom is a dermatologist. She cannot say enough negative things about the tanning salons. She just recently removed a man's entire ear and made him a new one. She did a nice job, but I'm sure this gentleman can tell you he would have rather not have needed the surgery at all.

I cannot stress enough the usage of sunscreen, watching the time of day you are in the sun, and using common sense. You can be the belle of the ball without the tanning salon.