Cooked skin may cook kids' goose

Paula Haacke, who manages the cosmetic side of Forsha's business, has noticed that she is giving "photo rejuvenation" treatments to increasing younger patients to correct skin damaged by exposure to sun lamps and sun.

"The treatment deals with discoloration, but it can't do anything about skin cancer," she says. "If they get cancer, then the doctor has to remove it, and that leaves a scar. Now they're not just getting ugly skin, they're getting cancer. The photo rejuv gets rid of some of the damage, but it's expensive and insurance doesn't cover it. And if they continue to tan, they'll have to keep doing the treatment."

Haacke has a favorite saying: The tan fades, the damage stays. She went on a cruise recently and was teased by other passengers for her white skin and her predilection for sunblock and hats.

"I told them, if you saw what I saw, you'd do it too," she says.

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Doug Robinson's column runs on Tuesdays. E-mail drob@desnews.com