A US study has published that Skin cancer (Melanoma) is on the rise among young adults, pouring blames on indoor tanning beds and childhood sunburns .

Although the current study did not focus on reasons for the increase, Lead investigator Jerry Brewer, M.D., a Clinic dermatologist, said other researchers have found that people who use indoor tanning beds are 74 percent more likely to get melanoma than non-tanners.

Jennifer Stein, a dermatologist at New York University Langone Medical Center, agreed that indoor tanning beds are a likely culprit, saying that “One possible explanation for this rapid increase in cases of melanoma may be the use of indoor tanning beds in teens and young adults, which has become so popular in recent years,” .

“It’s important for people to protect their skin from ultraviolet exposure, and to check their skin for new or changing moles, which can be a sign of melanoma. The key to surviving melanoma is early detection.” the researchers said.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. People at the highest risk are those with light hair and green or blue eyes. Spending a lot of time in the sun and having had one or more blistering sunburns in youth also boost the risk.