Tanning Apps Targeting Children Fuel Dangerous Sun Culture in Australia
Smartphone applications that claim to offer "safe" and "healthy" tanning routines for users as young as four years old are being heavily promoted by social media influencers. This trend is contributing to what health experts describe as a dangerous resurgence in tanning culture among Australian teenagers.
Misleading Claims and Targeted Marketing
Applications downloaded by Guardian Australia make bold assertions including "get your best tan safely" and "get a healthy glow faster." One particular tanning application, labelled as suitable for users aged four and above, ranks among the top downloaded free applications in Apple's "weather" category within the Australian app store.
Many of these applications operate by asking users to select their ideal skin colour from options such as "espresso glow" or "golden bronze." Users then choose from tanning intensity levels including "mild," "medium," or "intense" for what is described as faster, deeper tanning results.
Questionable Recommendations and Routines
Some applications go further by prompting users to incorporate body oils, tanning butters, and accelerants into their routines. They may also suggest post-sun cooling activities such as showering or swimming. The applications then provide tailored tanning routines centred on deliberate exposure to ultraviolet radiation, with specific guidance on when and how long to spend in the sun to achieve desired skin tones.
A sponsored social media advertisement for one application features a young tanned woman with a caption reading: "Didn't check UV. Didn't reapply. Didn't even think about it." This messaging directly contradicts established sun safety protocols.
Medical Experts Sound Alarm
Dr Deshan Sebaratnam, a dermatologist and conjoint associate professor at the University of New South Wales, stated unequivocally: "It's all nonsense." He emphasised that the concept of a "safe tan" from UV exposure does not exist in medical science.
"A tan is actually a distress signal from your skin," Dr Sebaratnam explained. "It means your skin cells have been damaged by ultraviolet radiation and are responding by producing melanin. There is no such thing as a safe tan. The only safe tan is a fake tan."
The dermatologist warned that applications suggesting gradual tanning schedules are safer, or that safe thresholds of exposure exist, are fundamentally misleading. Any colour change in the skin indicates damage regardless of whether it occurs slowly or quickly.
Particular Risks for Young People
Dr Sebaratnam expressed particular concern about tanning applications targeting young people, noting that UV damage early in life carries a higher lifetime risk of skin cancer. This risk persists long after the skin appears to have healed.
"This is because damage from UV gets into your DNA, causing mutations, even if your skin heals and looks OK," he said. "Those DNA mutations in skin cells remain afterwards. When you acquire enough mutations, that's what causes cancer."
While melanoma in children remains rare, Dr Sebaratnam confirmed he has treated young patients requiring surgery and lymph node removal. He also warned that using tanning accelerants or oils as suggested by some applications is a "terrible idea," as products might contain ingredients that increase photosensitivity and lead to severe burns.
Public Health Efforts Undermined
Emma Glassenbury, head of the Cancer Council Victoria's SunSmart program, reported: "We're hearing from parents who are worried their kids are chasing tan lines again, asking about UV levels and when it's 'safe' to tan. That's deeply concerning."
A poll published by The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne in December revealed alarming statistics:
- 23% of teenagers aged 12-17 surveyed falsely believed a tan protects from skin cancer
- 50% said they would prefer to look tanned
Approximately 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer each year, making this a significant public health issue.
Decades of Prevention Work at Risk
"What we're doing is really trying to raise awareness of the dangers of these applications," Ms Glassenbury stated. "We're urging all Australians not to buy into these dangerous tanning apps because they're just simply too risky, targeting particularly our young people."
She emphasised the broader impact: "By promoting tanning trends, they are really undermining our public health efforts in tackling skin cancer. SunSmart has spent decades really trying to shift Australian attitudes away from that tanning mentality."
The resurgence of tanning culture through digital applications represents a significant challenge to established sun safety education that has been developed over generations in Australia, where skin cancer rates remain among the highest in the world.
