Yes, tanning addiction is a thing. You will know if you have an addiction if you feel a strong urge to use indoor tanning facilities. You will crave exposure to UV light and and want to head home darker than you arrived. Having similar urges to tan outdoor, almost all the time, can also tell you that you are a compulsive tanner. And just like other kinds of addiction, you may feel the burden that comes with the need to cut back on tanning. Thinking about all these even makes you feel anxious. 

This begs the question of why are people addicted to tanning. For one, tanning addiction may be the result of addiction to UV light. One article suggests that the excessive craving to tan outdoors or hit the tanning bed might be driven by an addiction or dependency to the mood-changing effects of the UV light.

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Addiction to tanning may also be caused by a psychiatric disorder. The deal here is that excessive tanning has been linked to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Body dysmorphic disorder. These two are kinds of psychiatric disorders. Researchers from Brown University Medical School discovered that among every 200 individuals with BDD, 25% revealed tanning in response to BDD-related anxieties. Also, a good number of compulsive indoor tanners may be determined by an underlying mood disorder or anxiety. Compulsive tanners have twice the rate of moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression of infrequent indoor tanners. Research also suggests that compulsive tanners might be more prone to seasonal affective disorder.

As much as you want to look good with tanning, it’s best to control your need to tan or use tanning beds. In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer included tanning beds in its highest cancer risk. This is based on an analysis of 20 studies that revealed that use of a tanning bed before age 30 increases the risk of having melanoma by 75%. Even the World Health Organization suggests that no one under age 18 should use a tanning bed.