The colors in this picture is oversaturated. But you get the point.

Photo: Picture Group

In the latest news about tanning legislation (Congress slapped a tax on tanning beds nationwide earlier this summer as part of the new healthcare bill), the New York Post just did a sneaky undercover investigative piece showing that most tanning salons in New York City don't obey laws requiring them to card their young customers. See, the rules are kinda simple ...

What's supposed to happen:

Teenagers under 14 are forbidden by law to tan indoors (yikes, that's SO YOUNG!), while teenagers under 18 need written permission from parents. A permission slip?! That sounds like something that's too easy to fake.

What actually happens:

They don't check. Eek.

However, if you don't live in New York, it's harder to sneak into a tanning booth if you're underage. According to an earlier nationwide report, most tanning establishments are pretty rigorous about making sure they don't have illegal bronzing in their beds. Why is this so serious? Because research shows that burning at a young age drastically increases the risk of skin cancer later in life. Also, because orange isn't a natural skin color.

+ Did you tan before you turned 18? Tell us why/when/how in the comments!