The use of sunbeds by under-18s became illegal in Scotland on Tuesday.

New legislation introduced under the Public health Act has banned unstaffed tanning salons and the sale or hire of UV tanning equipment to teenagers. It also introduces a legal requirement for salons to provide users with information about the health impact of sunbed use.

A new campaign designed to raise awareness of the dangers of sunbeds was launched on Tuesday by the Scottish Government and Cancer research UK, to coincide with the changes in the law.

Hundreds of posters illustrating the clear link between sunbed use and skin cancer will be hung in shopping centres across the country. They show an excerpt from a fictional sunbed user's calendar, with photos of nights out with friends pasted in.

As the months pass, her sunbed appointments are replaced with hospital appointments, cancer surgery and a photo of her surgical scar.

The campaign launch was backed by a young Scots woman who contracted skin cancer after becoming a regular user of tanning lamps.

Caroline Begg from Glasgow was shocked when she was diagnosed in 2006 after dismissing the warnings of the dangers of sunbeds.

The 29-year-old said: "When I noticed a mole had changed the way it looked I went to my GP and was stunned to learn I had developed skin cancer.

"It was terrifying. I had to wait for tests to tell me if it had spread to my lungs or anywhere else. Thankfully it was caught before it had a chance to spread, but I have been left with a large scar on my back where they removed the cancer.

"I wish I had known earlier just how dangerous sunbeds can be and I count myself lucky that my cancer was caught in time to be successfully treated.

"I'm glad to see that the Scottish Government are regulating sunbeds and I will be supporting Cancer Research UK's campaign to highlight how dangerous they are."

Skin cancer claimed the lives of more than 170 Scots last year. Cancer Research UK figures show it is now the most common cancer in young adults aged between 15 and 34.

The charity also warned that sunbed use could be contributing to an increase in cases, with a 49% rise in men and 30% increase in women diagnosed with the disease between 1996 and 2006.

Experts say using a sunbed once a month or more can increase the risk of skin cancer by more than half, while using a sunbed before the age of 35 increases the risk of skin cancer by as much as 75%.

Katy Scammell, Cancer Research UK's SunSmart campaign manager, said the poster campaign highlights a very real danger for some young Scots.

She said: "They might think they are just getting a tan, but sunbeds can cause malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer which claimed the lives of more than 170 Scots last year.

"We hope these posters will encourage young people to think twice before using sunbeds and becoming one of the growing number diagnosed with this potentially deadly disease.

"The new legislation will mean fewer young people put themselves at risk of developing the disease by using sunbeds."