The Sunbed Association, which represents UK sunbed salons, has been challenged by health organisations for claiming that tanned skin protects against sunburn. The assertion, made on its website, has been refuted by Cancer Research UK and the British Association of Dermatologists, who warn that a tan indicates skin damage and increases the risk of skin cancer.
Cancer Research UK's health information manager, Sophie Brooks, stated: 'There's no such thing as safe tanning from UV radiation. A tan is a sign of skin damage and offers very little protection against the sun.' The British Association of Dermatologists added: 'There is no safe way to get a tan. Whether from the sun or a sunbed, a tan is a visible sign that your skin has been damaged by ultraviolet radiation, which increases your risk of skin cancer.'
The Sunbed Association's website claimed that 'tanned skin protects against sunburn' and that avoiding sunburn means 'the benefits of moderate sun exposure will far outweigh the risks.' However, fact-checking organisation Full Fact contacted seven health bodies, including the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of which rejected the idea that tanning is protective.
Full Fact asked the Sunbed Association to justify its claim. The association argued that a controlled tan slightly increases the skin's protection against further UV damage, citing scientific papers. But Full Fact concluded that the evidence provided 'does not prove that the consensus is flawed' and that the studies were 'not reliable guides to the risks in the real world.' Statistics expert Kevin McConway also dismissed the validity of the association's evidence.
Melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with 19,400 new diagnoses and 2,600 deaths annually. The European Commission stated: 'The only safe way to use [sunbeds] is not to use them at all.' Full Fact warned that 'bad health information can be very dangerous.'
