14 years ago today, the Government introduced the Sunbed Regulation Act and banned their use by under-18s.  However, sunbeds still kill approximately 100 people each year and recent TikTok search data shows this number is likely to rise with many Brits unaware of the life- threatening danger they pose.

Using a sunbed increases the risk of skin cancer, and 46 new melanoma cases are diagnosed each day in the UK, a rise of 32% over the last decade.  With melanoma skin cancer rates projected to Using a sunbed increases the risk of skin cancer, and 46 new melanoma cases are diagnosed each day in the UK, a rise of 32% over the last decade.  With melanoma skin cancer rates projected to rise by 9% in the UK between 2023–2025 and 2038–2040, predictions suggest there could be around 26,500 new cases of melanoma skin cancer every year by 2038-2040 then (2).

Much of this growth is fueled by social media, with over 200M TikTok searches for #sunbed in the last 12 months. The Sunbed Legislation Act came into play before social media gained such influence, and that’s why Skin Cancer UK is launching today’s mission to get the Government to update the law and make warning signs mandatory, with a powerful video which shows just how harmful UV rays are. 

Much of the upsurge in trips to the tanning salon is due to the rise of ‘nostalgia’ trends, where old school habits are popularised by a younger generation. The desire to caption #sunbed, a genre of content in its own right, is driving TikTokers to film the process for millions.

On TikTok alone, #sunbed boasts over 718 million views (3), with videos including tanning cream and nasal spray reviews, viral hacks for a deeper tan, ‘GRWM’ style videos for the tanning salon, tips for sunbed newbies and even creators sharing alternative tips for sunbeds, such as using them to whiten teeth.

This trend was solidified by Kim Kardashian’s participation in the popular ‘I’m…of course I….’ craze, in which the queen of social media reclines in a tanning bed, stating “I’m Kim Kardashian, of course I have a tanning bed – and a red-light bed – in the office.” She later went on to defend herself, claiming sunbeds help her psoriasis – but with 9.7million followers on the platform, and over 38.7million views on that video alone, the impact of normalising sunbeds on a platform saturated with 10-19-year-olds is inevitable.  Early use of sunbeds is particularly dangerous, with sunbed use before 35 increasing the risk of skin cancer by almost 60%.  Sunbeds are already banned in Australia, Brazil, and Iran. 

That was certainly the case for Ross Robinson, who noticed a lesion on his back after extensive sunbed use, he said “The rise in use of sunbeds is alarming and of deep concern. We need to keep having this discussion so that more information is available, and people can be educated on how sunbed use dramatically increases the risk of developing melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Our skin is the body’s largest organ and when we tan it’s our body’s reaction to being attacked by UV rays, moderate exposure to sunlight is healthy but consistent exposure from sunbeds is deadly. This is why I am in support of Melanoma Law and updating the current sunbed regulation”.

Sunbeds can emit up to 15x more UVA than the sun, which led The World Health Organisation to declare sunbeds as dangerous as smoking and place their use into the highest risk level for cancer alongside cigarettes, alcohol, and asbestos (4).

To get involved and support a change in the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 law, click on the link and sign the petition here and show further support on social media using the official campaign hashtag.
#themelanomalaw