It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to teens and their dangerous tanning bed habits. A research letter published in the Archives of Dermatology linked moms who tanned indoors with a higher likelihood that their daughters would, too, develop the habit. Approximately 30 million people use tanning beds each year, and an astounding 71 percent of those people are girls and women aged 16 to 29. Teenagers comprise 2.3 million indoor tanners. That’s significant because the American Academy of Dermatology has found that those who use a tanning bed before age 35 have a 75 percent higher likelihood of developing melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, while increasing the risk for other kinds of skin cancer. The study examined 200 college-aged women who were non-tanners, moderate tanners and heavy tanners, and the heavy tanners were 4.64 times more likely to have had their first indoor tanning experience with their like-minded moms.

Authors of the research letter wrote, “Informing mothers of the risks of tanning and the strong influence their tanning behavior will have on their child’s current and future risks may have significant effects, ultimately resulting in less UV exposure.” The Skin Cancer Foundation urges moms to discourage their daughters from using tanning beds not only because of the risks, but also to save their looks later in life. UV radiation is responsible for skin cancer, which is the most common cancer among 25- to 29-year-old women, and it contributes to 90 percent of visible skin changes as we age, including wrinkles, fine lines and age spots. Regardless of your age, try another way to get brown, like self-tanners, and always use a high SPF when going out in the sun.