Teens who want to look tanned this spring may have to find other options than a "fake bake," if local legislators have their way.

State Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole, has refiled legislation to keep teens younger than 16 out of tanning salons. Teens who are 17 or 18 would need written parental consent to use tanning beds.

Timilty said he refiled the legislation, similar to a bill he filed last spring, because he said Massachusetts has a high rate of skin cancer and melanoma deaths, compared with the rest of the country.

He said that's especially significant, considering the state's less-than-perfect tanning weather.

"This isn't San Diego, where they have 365 days of sun a year. We're coming off a week where we barely saw the sun," Timilty said. "(There's an) 18 percent higher mortality rate here in Massachusetts. With our clouds, that's scary." According to the National Cancer Institute, Massachusetts has a skin cancer mortality rate 18 percent above the national average. Additionally, the state has a 4 percent higher rate of melanoma diagnosis.

Timilty said one of the reasons for high skin cancer rates is people don't take precautions while in the sun.

"There isn't that conscious act of lighting a cigarette or taking a drink," he said.

Sen. Pam Resor, D-Acton, is also working on the legislation.

"One in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in their lives," she said. "Having five or more sunburns in your life will double your risk. This is something people can have without even being aware of it until it becomes a serious problem."

Deb Girard, executive director of the Melanoma Foundation of New England, said parents play an important role in keeping their teens safe from skin damage.

"Parents need to understand the danger. Parents often believe that going to a tanning salon is safer than going to the beach," she said.

Girard said parents often encourage their children to get "base tans" to prevent sunburns during family vacations.

"The people who get those base tans are the kids with stage one very pale skin and blond hair," she said. "That's just causing more damage."

Dermatologists rank skin types based on their coloring and tendency to burn. Stage one skin, the palest, is the most sensitive and is susceptible to sun damage. Girard said now is an important time to teach teens about the dangers of indoor tanning.

"We are coming upon prom season and we are hoping to get parents and teenage girls to commit to not using tanning beds," she said. "One million people a year use tanning beds. Of those, 70 percent are Caucasian women between the ages of 16 and 29."

Girard said new studies show tanning is an addictive behavior. She said some people will tan from three and five times a week because they need the "boost" tanning gives them.

Girard said so-called "tanorexics" often get the worst damage as they try to live up to the celebrity standards of a "healthy tan."

"This tanning sensation goes back 30 years to (fashion designer) CoCo Chanel, who was the first person to sport the tan," Girard said.

Dr. Kathryn Bowers, president of the Massachusetts Academy of Dermatologists, said teens who want a tanned look have healthier options, such as bottle and spray tans. The products have improved in quality over the years, and she often cannot tell the difference between fake and real tans.

"I see almost no problems, whether it's an allergic reaction or toxicity, from these products," Bowers said.