Sunbed Association’s tan protection claim contradicted by health bodies

The Story

The Sunbed Association, which represents UK sunbed salons, has claimed on its website that tanned skin protects against sunburn. This statement has been rejected by leading health organizations, including Cancer Research UK and the British Association of Dermatologists, who say a tan is a sign of skin damage and increases skin cancer risk. The fact-checking organization Full Fact verified the claim with seven health bodies and found it to be incorrect health advice.

Key Facts

• The Sunbed Association’s website states: “Tanned skin protects against sunburn.”
• Cancer Research UK and the British Association of Dermatologists say a tan increases skin cancer risk and is not protective.
• Full Fact checked the claim with seven UK, European, and US health bodies, all of which refuted it.
• Sophie Brooks of Cancer Research UK said: “A tan is a sign of skin damage and offers very little protection against the sun.”
• The British Association of Dermatologists said: “There is no safe way to get a tan.”
• The European Commission said: “The only safe way to use [sunbeds] is not to use them at all.”
• Full Fact concluded the association’s website contains incorrect health advice.
• The Sunbed Association provided scientific papers as evidence, but Full Fact assessed them as not reliable guides to real-world risks.
• Statistics expert Kevin McConway dismissed the validity of 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 each year.

Conflicting Reports

The Sunbed Association maintains that a controlled tan slightly increases protection against UV damage, while health bodies state that any tan indicates skin damage and raises cancer risk.

Still Unclear

No open questions identified in the source article.

Misconceptions

The article addresses the misconception that tanned skin protects against sunburn, citing multiple health authorities that say tanning is harmful and not protective.

Key Figures

• Sophie Brooks, health information manager at Cancer Research UK
• Kevin McConway, professor emeritus of applied statistics at the Open University
• The Sunbed Association (organization)
• Full Fact (organization)
• British Association of Dermatologists (organization)

Sources: The Guardian