Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The BBC has uncovered a surge in misleading claims circulated on social media by tanning businesses, promoting sunbeds as beneficial for health during winter months. Hundreds of advertisements on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook assert that sunbeds can enhance energy levels, treat skin ailments, or improve mental well-being. Some examples include suggestions that an “eight-minute” sunbed session might help ward off colds and flu, or that UV exposure from these devices could stimulate the thyroid gland to aid weight loss.
Health officials have condemned these assertions as “irresponsible” and “potentially dangerous.” An NHS dermatologist described the widespread sunbed misinformation online as “genuinely terrifying.” These concerns follow actions by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which recently banned six tanning advertisements due to false or unsafe health claims. Medical experts and cancer organizations emphasize the clear link between sunbed use and increased risks of melanoma and other skin cancers. Studies from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that using sunbeds before age 35 raises melanoma risk by 59%.
Despite these warnings, the Sunbed Association — representing about half of the UK’s tanning businesses — disputes the data cited by the WHO and ASA, calling it “outdated.” The association advises its members against making medical claims in their advertising but maintains that regulations around sunbeds in the UK are stricter than ever. Young adults remain the predominant users: a 2025 YouGov survey found about one in seven individuals aged 18 to 24 reported having used a sunbed within the past year, a rate twice the overall population average. Alarmingly, nearly 25% of under-25s mistakenly believe sunbeds can reduce their risk of skin cancer.
Personal stories underline the dangers involved. Kass Barker was diagnosed with melanoma at 22 after noticing a suspicious mole on her wrist. While she cannot definitively attribute the cancer to sunbed use, she suspects the tanning sessions raised her risk. She recalls that she and her friends justified their habit by thinking they were getting “a few minutes of vitamin D,” a notion the NHS firmly rejects. Health charities voice frustration that such harmful messages persist online unchecked. Rosie Vare, health information manager at the Teenage Cancer Trust, urges young people to critically evaluate the source and reliability of such content, emphasizing the prevalence of misinformation promoting a product proven to cause cancer.
Investigations by the BBC in January uncovered over 200 separate advertisements with unsubstantiated health claims posted primarily by smaller tanning salons on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. One widely viewed TikTok video falsely asserted that doctors prescribe sunbeds to combat vitamin D deficiency, seasonal depression, and skin disorders—claims health professionals strongly dispute. While some sunbeds emit UVB rays that the body can use to produce vitamin D, the WHO states this is an inefficient method compared to consuming a healthy diet or taking supplements. Furthermore, the British Association of Dermatologists warns against using commercial sunbeds to treat skin conditions, distinguishing these from hospital-based light therapies performed under strict medical oversight for illnesses like eczema or psoriasis.
Other online content falsely promoted sunbeds as tools to reduce body weight or boost serotonin levels for mood disorders. These claims drew criticism from organizations such as the Obesity Health Alliance and mental health charity Mind, which labeled them “irresponsible and harmful.” Dr. Amy Perkins, an NHS dermatologist from Stirling who has reported some of the misleading posts to the ASA, described the volume of misinformation circulating on social media as “genuinely terrifying.” She highlighted that the annual rise in skin cancer diagnoses is placing a significant strain on healthcare services
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.