In your article on tanning ("Professor studies tanning," Nov. 10) I read this comment made by Penn State student Maria Rossi: "I don't think it's really bad unless you repeatedly burn; the only thing you have to worry about is your skin aging."

Well, I am here to tell her and everyone else there is something more to worry about than skin aging, and it is a very deadly cancer called melanoma.

Just using tanning beds will increase the risk of getting melanoma by eight times for a woman under 35. I was one of those women using tanning beds in my teens and twenties and I was one of those women diagnosed with melanoma. When you are young you think you are invincible and you don't worry about what this might do to you. But trust me, when they are in their 20's or 30's and possibly married with children and they are diagnosed with melanoma they will regret their decision to tan. I know I did.