[Personal] How was I so unaware of the risks of tanning beds?

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I recently turned 25 and am a male. And today I am sick with fear that I may have or will likely one day develop skin cancer. Growing up, I was a pasty teen who sat inside and played video games all day. I maybe had a few sun burns as a kid, but nothing too out of the ordinary (assuming that is ordinary). Fast forward to me being 20 years old and finally breaking out of my shell. I enrolled in community college and was working on my appearance, both physically and with apparel.The gym I decided to sign up for just so happened to be Planet Fitness, which has tanning beds. Well, my mom tanned, and so did the girl that I was into at the time. I had gotten negative comments about my pale complexion a few times in high school. So, along with going to the gym, I tanned after every work out. I had zero idea about the consequences of such actions. Did I ever smoke? Nope. Drink? Only once. Drugs? Never. I had a clear picture that these were all bad habits. But tanning? I really was clueless.I carried this habit with me for maybe 1.5 years, tanning, on average, for maybe 20 minutes per week. Fast forward to me being 23 and randomly browsing the web on health topics. Somehow, I came across the skin cancer topic. I was a pasty white guy with many moles. I booked a dermatologist appointment fast. That first appointment I had a severly atypical mole removed (or had it biopsied, then removed a month later).Over the past two years, I have been vigilant about sun care. I have not been tanning in about 3 years, and have had 4 more skin exams since the first, and have only had to have one mole removed that was benign. I have another appointment next week.Overall, I cannot believe I did this. After all the reading I have done, it seems that I am at very high risk for melanoma. It is mentally crippling. The lungs and liver both have regenerative capabilities. The damage done to the skin is permanent. Lung and liver cancer is very rare in young people, while skin cancer is uncommon in young people, but not at all rare.I guess all in all that this is just a rant. I'm sorry. I was unable to get out of bed today with this fear. What exactly, if any, are the stats on a person under 30 with tanning bed exposure and fair skin with many moles on getting skin cancer? I feel like it has to be 1 in 2 at least. There are so many tragic stories on the web.
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Submitted by captainmcjs