Dermatologists Rebuke Sunbed Group's 47% Melanoma-Risk Claims as It Defends Tanning
Updated
Updated · The Independent · May 30
Dermatologists Rebuke Sunbed Group's 47% Melanoma-Risk Claims as It Defends Tanning
2 articles · Updated · The Independent · May 30
UK dermatologists called the Sunbed Association's advice "misleading and potentially dangerous" after it said tanned skin protects against sunburn and moderate sun exposure's benefits can outweigh risks.
Cancer specialists said a tan is skin damage, not protection: UV exposure injures DNA, raises cancer risk and is unnecessary for vitamin D, which most people can get through routine outdoor activity.
Nearly 9 in 10 melanoma cases are linked to excessive UV from the sun and sunbeds, and melanoma kills about 2,600 people a year in the UK.
The association's chairman still defended tanning as a protective melanin response, though he acknowledged any SPF boost from a mild tan is very low and urged people to avoid burning.
WHO classifies sunbeds alongside smoking in danger terms, and using one before age 20 raises melanoma risk by 47% versus never-users.
With science clear on tanning dangers, what will it take to change the cultural perception that a tan is healthy?
If sunbeds are as carcinogenic as tobacco, why are governments globally so divided on how to regulate or ban them?
As the UK tightens sunbed laws, why did the US FDA just abandon its proposed ban on use by minors?