Seriously people, stop tanning!

Tanning continues to be a popular pastime among Americans, which is pretty alarming, given that it can literally kill you. That "healthy glow" can lead to melanoma, and in the last few years, the rate of melanoma cases has skyrocketed a whopping 800 percent among women ages 18-39. That's twice the rate of melanoma in men of the same age, and the rates for other tanning-related cancers (like basal and squamous cell carcinomas) is following a similar trajectory.

Why can't we quit the tan? This fashion choice is not only damaging to your health, it also causes premature aging. Tanning is bad for your skin, as any leathery older person can demonstrate. (Have you SEEN Clint Eastwood lately? Or Robert Redford? Those guys look terrifying.)

Melanoma is probably one of the easiest cancers to prevent. Even easier than lung cancer caused by smoking, if you ask me, because nobody has to overcome a crippling physical addiction in order to stop tanning. In order to avoid getting skin cancer, just cover up, stay out of the sun, and/or use sunscreen. Boom: No cancer.

Despite all of the cancer awareness campaigns in recent decades, sunscreen usage is only up by five percentage points compared to a decade ago. Skin cancer is surprisingly easy to catch. If you have had five or more sunburns in your lifetime, your odds of contracting melanoma double. Indoor tanning is an even better way to catch cancer: it's considered a class 1 carcinogen, up there with cigarette smoke and asbestos.

In fact, just one single tanning bed session will increase your lifetime risk of developing melanoma by 20 percent. If those were the odds for the Powerball, you'd better believe I'd be buying a ticket!

Genetics and early detection are also a factor. If you have a close relative who experienced skin cancer, you should be particularly wary of the sun, because your risk of getting melanoma is significantly higher. And whenever you notice a new or unusual mole, please tell your doctor ASAP.

Image courtesy Flickr/zhu keeper