Dermatologist Says Social Media Fuels Risky Sun and Sunbed Habits, Calls for UK Sunbed Ban

A consultant dermatologist has warned that social media platforms are normalising dangerous attitudes towards sun exposure and tanning, and has called on UK authorities to ban commercial sunbeds, according to a letter published by The Guardian.

Dr Amy Perkins, who says she has a special interest in the health impacts of social media, wrote that she has observed how digital platforms amplify content promoting extreme tanning routines, dramatic before-and-after images, and misleading health claims about sun exposure and sunbeds.

According to Perkins, social media algorithms tend to reward content that provokes strong emotional reactions, which she says allows sensational or inaccurate tanning-related material to spread more widely than balanced medical advice.

The letter was written in response to an earlier Guardian editorial published on 7 August, which had highlighted rising melanoma rates and argued that another awareness campaign would not be sufficient to address the problem.

Perkins said she has previously raised concerns about what she described as irresponsible advertising by the sunbed industry, including claims that sunbed use offers a net health benefit. She characterised such promotion as indefensible, noting that ultraviolet radiation from sunbeds is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization's cancer agency.

Citing these concerns, Perkins argued that a public awareness campaign alone would not be enough to counter the influence of social media and industry advertising, and called instead for the UK to ban commercial sunbeds outright.