Young women have a new epidemic to fear, and its name is skin cancer. Since 1970, cases of life-threatening melanoma among women 18 to 39 have spiked an alarming 705 percent.

Because of the increase among women in particular, many experts have ruled out common causes like daily sun exposure and skin-damaging sunburns—which would more equally affect men and women. They are instead focusing on tanning beds as the culprit, because women in the same age group are also the most frequent users of tanning beds.

Indoor tanning—which was introduced in the U.S. in 1978—can, in fact, raise your risk of melanoma by 75 percent. The cancer-causing UVA rays in a tanning bed can be as much as 12 times stronger than those you get from the sun. Melanoma can easily spread from your skin to your lymph nodes—and beyond. Once that happens, there’s an 85 percent chance it will kill you. Is a tan worth that risk?

Indoor tanning is also responsible for non-melanoma cancers—as many as 170,000 cases a year—in addition to increased wrinkles and sun spots.

Especially if you go tanning, or have in the past, it’s important to do regular self-exams on your skin, and see a professional for an exam on a regular basis. If you suspect a problem, notify your doctor right away to seek evaluation and treatment.