THE SKIN CANCER FOUNDATION REPORTS ON SELF-TANNING.

As Sun Safety Grows, So Do The Benefits of Sunless Tanning.

Fake Bake popularity is surging, showing that Americans are wising up about sun safety. They're putting their money where their skin is.

Self-tanning products, also called "sunless" tanning lotions, contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar that interacts with dead surface cells in the epidermis, staining the skin darker. The effect is temporary, because as the dead cells naturally slough off, the color fades, disappearing within a week unless the lotion has been reapplied.

That's a lot more healthful than a suntan, however, because while suntans also start fading after a few days, the harm done to the skin is permanent. Getting a suntan breaks down the DNA in skin cells, but using self-tanners causes no such damage. At worst, sunless tanning products present a minimal risk of irritant or allergic reactions.

SKIN CANCER FACTS:

Most of the more than 1 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the United States are considered to be sun-related. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, will account for about 59,600 cases of skin cancer in 2005 and most (about 7,800) of the 10,600 deaths due to skin cancer each year.