Sunbed Association’s Claim of “Safe Tan” Faces Sharp Criticism from Health Experts

The body that represents the UK’s sunbed salons is wrongly asserting that a tan protects against sunburn, a claim that leading medical bodies say is incorrect.

Health organisations have challenged the accuracy of the information spread by the Sunbed Association, which on its website asks: “Is it true there is no such thing as a safe tan?”

The Association’s answer—“No. Tanned skin protects against sunburn”—has prompted Cancer Research UK and the British Association of Dermatologists to warn that a tan can actually increase the risk of skin cancer.

The website also claims that sunburn is “thought to be the main cause of melanoma” and that “if you avoid getting sunburned, the benefits of moderate sun exposure will far outweigh the risks.”

The assertion appears in a FAQ section on the Association’s site that discusses sunbeds, tanning and UV radiation.

Full Fact, the fact‑checking organisation, examined the statement and consulted seven UK, European and US health bodies. They all rejected the idea that tanning is protective, stating that a tan signals skin damage and increases cancer risk.

Sophie Brooks, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, told Full Fact: “There’s no such thing as safe tanning from UV radiation. A tan is a sign of skin damage and offers very little protection against the sun. A bit of sun helps our bodies make vitamin D, but there’s no need to sunbathe or risk sunburn to get enough vitamin D. Too much sun can cause sunburn and raise the risk of skin cancer.”

The British Association of Dermatologists added: “There is no safe way to get a tan. Whether from the sun or a sunbed, a tan is a visible sign that your skin has been damaged by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which increases your risk of skin cancer.”

The NHS, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, European Commission and both the US’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration all highlight the risks of tanning. “The only safe way to use sunbeds is not to use them at all,” the Commission said.

Full Fact stated: “When the Sunbed Association suggests that a safe tan exists, it contradicts many of the most respected scientific authorities worldwide.”

The evidence shows that the Association’s website “contains incorrect health advice on tanning”. It warns that “bad health information can be very dangerous.”

Full Fact asked the Association to justify the disputed statement in its FAQ. “It told us that in its view a controlled tan slightly increases the skin’s protection against further UV damage,” the fact‑checkers noted.

When asked for evidence that the tan itself did not raise cancer risk, the Association supplied references to several scientific papers and claimed that a “consensus view based on flawed and/or selective data simply enables the established narrative to continue.”

Full Fact added: “The evidence the Association provided does not prove that the consensus is flawed. The studies cited were not reliable guides to real‑world risks.” The Association had previously submitted similar evidence to an EU consultation on sunbed safety but failed to change its position.

Statistics expert Kevin McConway, a professor emeritus of applied statistics at the Open University and Full Fact advisor, also dismissed the Association’s evidence.

Melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with 19,400 new diagnoses and 2,600 deaths annually, according to official statistics.

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