Tanning Apps Promote 'Safe' Sun Routines, Undermining Skin Cancer Fight
Smartphone applications that claim to offer "safe" and "healthy" tanning routines for users as young as four years old are being heavily promoted by influencers, contributing to what experts describe as a dangerous resurgence in tanning culture among Australian teenagers. These apps, which include phrases like "get your best tan safely" and "get a healthy glow faster," are among the top downloaded free apps in the "weather" category on the Apple App Store, with one labelled suitable for ages 4+.
How Tanning Apps Work and Their Claims
Many of these applications prompt users to select their ideal skin colour, such as "espresso glow" or "golden bronze," and then choose from tanning intensity levels like "mild," "medium," or "intense" for "faster, deeper tanning." Some apps even suggest adding body oils, tanning butters, and accelerants to routines, or recommend post-sun activities like showering or swimming. The apps then provide tailored tanning routines centred on deliberate exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, guiding users on when and how long to spend in the sun to achieve their desired skin tone.
A sponsored social media advertisement for one of these apps features a young tanned woman with a caption that reads: "Didn't check UV. Didn't reapply. Didn't even think about it." This messaging directly contradicts established sun safety guidelines.
Expert Warnings on the Dangers of Tanning Apps
Dr. Deshan Sebaratnam, a dermatologist and conjoint associate professor at the University of New South Wales, strongly criticises these applications, stating that the concept of a "safe tan" from UV exposure is a myth. "A tan is actually a distress signal from your skin," he explains. "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."
Sebaratnam emphasises that apps suggesting gradual tanning schedules are safer or that there are safe thresholds of exposure are misleading because any colour change in the skin indicates damage, regardless of how slowly it occurs. He highlights that tanning apps targeting young people are particularly troubling, as UV damage early in life carries a higher lifetime risk of skin cancer, even after the skin appears to heal.
Long-Term Risks and Public Health Concerns
The damage from UV radiation "gets into your DNA, causing mutations, even if your skin heals and looks OK," Sebaratnam notes, with those DNA mutations in skin cells persisting over time. "When you acquire enough mutations, that's what causes cancer," he adds. "We know sunburns in childhood really increase risk and that's why there are policies like 'no hat, no play.'" While melanoma in children is rare, Sebaratnam reports treating young patients who required surgery and lymph node removal.
Using tanning accelerants or oils as suggested by some apps is described as a "terrible idea," as these products might contain ingredients that increase photosensitivity and lead to severe burns.
Parental and Public Health Responses
Emma Glassenbury, head of the Cancer Council Victoria's SunSmart program, expresses deep concern, stating: "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 found that 23% of teens aged 12 to 17 falsely believed a tan protects from skin cancer, while half said they would prefer to look tanned. Approximately 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer each year.
Glassenbury adds: "What we're doing is really trying to raise the awareness of the dangers of these apps. 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. 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."
