The Rise of Tanning Apps: A Dangerous Trend?
In a world where smartphone apps seem to offer solutions for every imaginable need, the emergence of 'tanning apps' has sparked concern among health professionals and experts. These apps, promising 'safe' and 'healthy' tanning routines, have gained popularity, especially among young Australians, but here's where it gets controversial: they might be doing more harm than good.
Influencers, with their significant online influence, have been heavily promoting these apps, which claim to provide a safe way to achieve a tan. However, the reality is far from harmless. One such app, rated suitable for users as young as four, has become a top download in the 'weather' category on the Apple app store. This app, and others like it, ask users to select their desired skin tone, offering options like 'espresso glow' or 'golden bronze'. Users then choose tanning intensity levels, with options like 'mild', 'medium', or 'intense', promising 'faster, deeper tanning'.
Some apps even suggest adding body oils, tanning butters, and accelerants to enhance the tanning process. The apps then recommend tailored routines, guiding users on when and for how long to expose themselves to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to achieve their desired skin tone. This deliberate exposure to UV radiation is where the controversy lies.
A sponsored social media ad for one of these apps features a young, tanned woman, with the caption: 'Didn't check UV. Didn't reapply. Didn't even think about it'. This casual attitude towards sun protection is a worrying trend.
Dr. Deshan Sebaratnam, a dermatologist and associate professor at the University of New South Wales, calls these apps 'nonsense'. He emphasizes that there is no such thing as a 'safe tan' from UV exposure. 'A tan is a distress signal from your skin,' he explains. 'It means your skin cells have been damaged by ultraviolet radiation, and they are responding by producing melanin. Any color change in the skin indicates damage, regardless of how slowly it happens.'
Sebaratnam adds that apps suggesting gradual tanning schedules or safe exposure thresholds are misleading. He highlights the particular concern for young people, as UV damage early in life carries a higher lifetime risk of skin cancer, even after the skin heals. 'The damage from UV gets into your DNA, causing mutations,' he says. 'Those DNA mutations in skin cells remain, and when enough mutations accumulate, that's what causes cancer.'
Emma Glassenbury, head of the Cancer Council Victoria's SunSmart program, shares her concerns: 'We're hearing from parents worried about their kids chasing tan lines again, asking about UV levels and when it's 'safe' to tan. That's deeply concerning.'
A poll conducted by The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne found that 23% of teens aged 12 to 17 falsely believed a tan protects against skin cancer, while half said they preferred to look tanned. This misconception is a significant issue, as approximately 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer each year.
Glassenbury emphasizes the need to raise awareness about the dangers of these apps: 'We're urging all Australians not to buy into these dangerous tanning apps. They are simply too risky, especially for our young people. By promoting tanning trends, these apps undermine our public health efforts in tackling skin cancer. SunSmart has worked hard to shift Australian attitudes away from the tanning mentality, and these apps threaten to undo that progress.'
So, the question remains: Are these tanning apps a harmless trend, or a dangerous step backwards in the fight against skin cancer? What are your thoughts on this issue? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments below!
