MUKWONAGO - With Winter fast approaching, many folks are already signing up for tanning bed packages. Now, there are ways to get that copper glow in a healthier way.

Whether you like to spray...or lay...tanning means different things to different people.

A.J. Olijnyk is a tanning regular. He explains, "Guys are getting more into tanning because they want to feel good and look good, and cuz they want to attract the ladies."

Meanwhile, Tracey Whiting says it's all about confidence. "How tremendous you can feel, and just the glow--it does raise your self-esteem and you feel great," she gushes.

However, a new report suggests tanning beds are anything but great for your body. The report puts tanning beds in the same danger category as smoking cigarettes. Dr. Sam Hwang is the Chairman of Dermatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

"I think the report just simply puts tanning beds, and the light emitted from tanning beds, in the same list of environmental factors that can cause human cancer," Dr. Hwang explains.

He says there is little evidence of any health benefits from tanning, but it is important to keep things in perspective.

"I think the degree of risk is not in the same category as smoking, or other forms of radiation," he reasons.

Lynette Schumacher owns a couple tanning salons in Mukwonago. She feels the report is a little misleading.

"Tanning in itself is similar to most anything you do in moderation, and it was frustrating to me that they were comparing it to arsenic, as they were, and saying the negative things," she says.

Schumacher is responding to the growing demand for the faster, healthier option of spray tanning. She recently opened "Sun On The Run" spray tan salon.

"It's becoming a lot of different things like regular tanning is: I want to feel better, I want to look better, I want to feel thinner," she reasons.

Tracey Whiting has Multiple Sclerosis--so her trips to the spray tan salon are anything but vanity. She says, "It actually makes me feel well."

So like anything, know your risks, and make the decision that's best for you.

"We try to educate our tanners, so they learn the best way to tan for what they need," Schumacher says.

People under the age of 35 are considered most at risk for Skin Cancer. There are about 70,000 cases of Melanoma in the United States every year. Dr. Hwang also suggests giving yourself an occasional self exam. If you notice any moles on your skin that change in color, size, or shape over time--call your doctor.-