Sunbeds are this year’s most dangerous wellness trend, but can they ever have benefits?
A high street staple in the 90s and noughties, tanning shops have waned in popularity in recent years, thanks to rising awareness around their widely-reported ability to raise your risk of skin cancer.
But according to recent stats from Melanoma Focus, the artificial tanning devices appear to be increasing in popularity with Gen Z, with 43% of 18 to 25-year-olds admitting to using sunbeds in a survey.
One possible explanation for their resurgence? A TikTok trend that’s seen the UV light-loaded beds rebranded as a ‘healthy’ part of everyday wellness routines, with some tanning shops using the platform to market dubious claims about their benefits.
Some videos on the platform state that using sun beds regularly can increase your intake of vitamin D, support immunity, help you to regulate a healthy sleep wake cycle and naturally increase mood-boosting endorphins.
But is there any truth to these statements? We asked a dermatologist to weigh in on the matter, explaining if sunbeds can ever spell good news for your health.
Can sunbeds increase vitamin D?
Given that sunlight helps our bodies manufacture the majority of our vitamin D, it sounds plausible to suggest that tanning beds, which mimic the suns rays, could give us a mood-boosting dose of the sunshine vitamin.
However, this theory appears to be largely a myth. A 2019 overview of the claims, published by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, concluded that while the UV light from sun beds can temporarily increase vitamin D levels in the blood, this boost is typically short-lived.
The researchers say that the reason is because there’s a marked difference between the UV you soak up on holiday and the rays you get from a tanning bed.
Sunlight emits UVB radiation, a type of invisible ray that interacts with a protein called 7-DHC in the skin, converting it into vitamin D3. Sunbeds, meanwhile, contain concentrated UVA radiation, which does not effectively trigger vitamin D synthesis.
“Getting enough vitamin D from tanning beds just isn’t possible,” stresses Dr Ross Perry, medical director of Cosmedics Skin Clinics. “Tanning beds use bulbs that emit mostly UVA light, while your body needs UVB light to produce vitamin D.
“To safely get enough vitamin D, simple exposure of 15 mins to arms and legs during the warmer months and a diet naturally rich in Vitamin D is all that is needed,” he adds. The NHS also recommend everyone should consider taking a daily supplement vitamin D during the autumn and winter months.
Experts say that any vitamin D you might get through using a sunbed is outweighed by the harms of using them. (Getty Images)
Can sunbeds regulate our sleep-wake cycle?
If you’re someone who tosses and turns until the early hours, the idea that a short session on a sunbed could ‘reset’ your body clock sounds appealing.
Some TikTok videos claim that controlled UV exposure from sunbeds can help regulate melatonin levels, which are crucial for sleep-wake cycles.
But while one 2015 study found that participants with SAD tended to naturally increase the frequency of their indoor tanning during the winter, there’s currently no scientific evidence to suggest that sun beds can regulate melatonin production in a similar way to natural daylight.
Can sunbeds boost our immunity?
“Despite claims that sunbeds might offer a ‘safer’ tanning method, they do not provide a safer alternative to natural sun exposure,” says Dr Unnati Desai, national lead of GP Services at Nuffield Health. “In fact, the high intensity of UVA radiation makes them more dangerous than traditional sun exposure.
“Safe vitamin D synthesis occurs from normal daytime sunlight exposure, and vitamin D supplements or fortified foods are a safer option when necessary.”
Are sunbeds ever safe to use?
Ultimately, science tells us that there is no safe way to use sunbeds. Studies have found that the device’s high intensity UV radiation can damage the DNA in your skin cells, leading to premature ageing and skin cancer, including melanoma, which is the most serious type of skin cancer.
Scientists reckon even one sunbed session can increase your risk of developing squamous cell skin cancer by 67% and basal cell skin cancer by 29%. People who start using sunbeds before the age of 35 also have a 75% increased risk of malignant melanoma.
“To be clear, there is no safe sunbeds use, and a deep tan is never ‘healthy’,” says Dr Sasha Dhoat, consultant dermatologist at Stratum Clinics. “Melanoma rates, the most dangerous and potentially fatal type of skin cancer are on the rise in the UK and it is thought around 100 deaths per year are linked with sunbed use.”
If you like having a golden glow during the warmer months, cosmetic dermatologist Laura Geige says that applying a fake tan is a far safer way to achieve a bronzed look.
“I find the rise in sunbed use deeply concerning, especially under the guise of ‘wellness’,” she notes.”We know that sunbeds are a direct carcinogen, classified by the World Health Organisation at the same risk level as tobacco and asbestos. So the idea that they offer meaningful benefits is not only misleading but also a dangerous distortion of science.
“In reality, I believe sunbeds offer accelerated skin aging, DNA mutations, and a significantly heightened risk of melanoma. Even a few sessions can cause irreversible genetic damage to skin cells.”
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