Sun tanning is 'trending' again. Here's why it's so dangerous.

We thought the archaic idea of spending hours sun tanning was behind us. And for most of us, we've received the 'Slip, Slop, Slap' message loud and clear.

We know the stats. Australia has the highest skin cancer rate in the world. Overexposure to UV light from the sun causes 95 per cent of melanomas. And one person in Australia is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes.

And yet, the glamourisation of sun tanning continues. Tanning products are still being advertised in Australia across social media, some influencers regularly share images showing off their overt tan lines, and all of this encourages people to lie out in the sun and bake for hours on end. 

Watch: Deborah Hutton's wake up call with melanoma. Post continues below.

Gina Savage is an advanced melanoma patient. She recently told AAP that seeing sun tanning 'trending' again on social media has felt like "a kick in the guts". 

"Watching people glamourise a tan across social media is honestly a kick in the guts when myself and so many others are fighting for our lives," she said.

Her comments came after TikTok made the pledge to remove harmful pro-tanning content from its platform by December 2022.

The social media giant has said they will scrub content with the #sunburnchallenge hashtag from the platform and instead share links with information about tanning and sunburn from the Melanoma Institute Australia. This is part of their 'Tanning. That's Cooked' campaign.

TikTok Trust & Safety team have said they are now proactively taking down dangerous content that glamourises tanning, making it easy for users to report content they may feel is in violation to community guidelines.

Pro-tanning content remains available to find on the platform.

Over the last six months, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have made very strict rules determining how influencers promote certain products. 

It's not just TikTok and tanning companies who are under the microscope. It's influencers too.

Just two examples. Image: TikTok.

It's important to note that there are some incredible influencers and content creators online who promote sun safety.

Yet several Australian influencers have been criticised for promoting tanning in the sun.

One prominent influencer recently described her skin as looking "crispy" as she lay outside. Another said she only went to the beach to lay in the sun. And plenty have posted photos to show the 'progress' of their tan lines on social media.

After seeing a post related to tanning from one influencer, Outspoken the Podcast said: "It really reminded me of being back in the early 2000s when everyone wore their tan lines like a badge of honour."

Last week, former MAFS contestant and now-podcaster Domenica Calarco criticised Australian designer Christopher Esber after a campaign for their latest swimwear collection featured models who had visible tan lines. 

"The tan lines are just not it! Come on, guys. The glamourising of this kind of culture makes me feel sick. I don't care if this is makeup. It's just not cool," she said.

Dom's Instagram stories criticising the overt promotion of tan lines. Image: Instagram.

It's a sentiment reflected by so many right now, particularly following the death of Australian writer and melanoma awareness advocate Natalie Fornasier.

And Australian journalist and co-host of Mamamia's The Spill podcast, Melissa Mason, has decided to do something about it. 

This week, she launched a new petition calling on the Federal Government to ban sun tanning product advertising in Australia. 

"I was looking into the rise of tanning culture seen among influencers and as I went down the rabbit hole on TikTok and Instagram, I found that the most disturbing content was coming from brands that were selling and marketing tan accelerants and tanning oils. There are brands built around the normalisation of getting a sun tan - not accidentally, but on purpose," Melissa told Mamamia. 

"Their products are designed to be worn in the sun, and while some will mention that you can pair the products with SPF (many sell SPF, too), overall what they're encouraging is actively seeking a tan - and in turn, putting yourself at huge risk of developing skin cancer. Tanning is never healthy, it always involves cell damage."

Melissa has asked for the Department of Health to thoroughly investigate the advertising and marketing of tanning products with no SPF in Australia to prevent young people from following dangerous trends generations before them have paid the price for.

"I can't believe brands are allowed to sell the 'dream' of getting a tan with no regulations. It's like if cigarettes were freely allowed to be advertised in my opinion. So I started a petition that I'll eventually take to my local member that hopefully will be put in the right hands, so we can see a ban on advertising tan accelerants and, at the very least, some regulations around how and where these products can be marketed."

Ultimately, when in doubt, opt for the fake tan in a bottle. Because compared to spending hours upon hours baking in the sun, it might just save your life.

If you would like to sign Melissa Mason's petition, you can do so here.

— With AAP.

Feature Image: TikTok @carrotenau, @thefoxtan, @jessicaastanhope.

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