Like exercising and drinking water, protecting yourself from the sun is an important part of primary and preventative health care—regardless of the season. But during summer’s longer days, when many people flock outside in pursuit of a golden tan, experts say it’s harder to persuade them to take proper safety measures.
Research links unprotected and prolonged sun exposure to several health problems including skin cancer, skin damage and immune system suppression. Yet tanning—whether bathing under natural or artificial ultraviolet (UV) rays—stubbornly remains a hot beauty trend. A survey conducted in March by the Orlando Health Cancer Institute revealed major misconceptions among those eagerly seeking sunshine. Roughly 32 percent of the 1,021 U.S. adult participants said they thought tanning “makes people look better and healthier.” And 17 percent reported believing that drinking water helps prevent sunburns.
Such dangerous ideas are likely fueled by Internet trends that promote misinformation about sunscreen and tanning benefits, says Rajesh Nair, an oncology surgeon at the institute, who helped develop the recent survey. “It’s almost like there’s this battle going on between those who favor a ‘natural lifestyle’ and push getting that ‘natural’ glow ... and those who don’t,” he says. Ahead of the rapidly approaching summer, Scientific American spoke with several experts about common tanning and sun exposure myths and ways people can safely enjoy sunshine.
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Myth: A “Base Tan” Protects You against Future Sunburns
The so-called base tan may sound like a convenient sunburn protection strategy: hop into a tanning bed or catch some rays outdoors and develop an initial “layer” of tan to prevent future burning during an upcoming sun-filled vacation. But this tactic is not only ineffective; it’s also unsafe. Any tan—achieved from either the sun or a tanning bed and “layered” or not—is always a sign of skin damage from UV radiation.
There are two types of UV radiation that affect skin: UVA and UVB. UVA seeps beneath the epidermis, the outermost skin layer, and prompts cells to create a brown pigment called melanin that causes a tan. UVB radiation affects only the epidermis and is responsible for sunburns. Both types of light harm cells, and pretanning before a period of prolonged sun exposure won’t stop a person from hurting their skin even further. “If you’re just preemptively getting exposure sooner, it does not help you maintain a safer tan or burn less,” says Dawn Davis, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic.
The only foolproof way a person can protect themself against the sun is to apply sunscreen, wear clothing with plenty of coverage or simply stay out of direct sunlight, Davis says. UV rays can even harm people indoors: sunlight can stream through windows, and some industrial lights emit radiation. “We recommend that people wear a minimum SPF [sun protection factor] 15 when indoors and 30 when outdoors but honestly prefer 30 indoors and 50 outdoors,” she says, adding that sunscreen should be reapplied about every two hours. “All individuals should be wearing sunscreen as long as they’re over the age of six months. And if you’re younger, we suggest shade and clothing.”
Myth: Proper Vitamin D Absorption Requires Unprotected Sun Exposure
Vitamin D helps human bodies absorb and process calcium and phosphorus—minerals that support the growth and maintenance of healthy bones. The nutrient can be obtained in two ways: ingestion of vitamin D–rich foods or supplements and absorption of sunlight through the skin.
UVB light triggers skin to produce and retain vitamin D. Clothing and sunscreen do hinder this process because they prevent most UVB rays from interacting directly with the skin. But that doesn’t necessarily mean protective measures will lead to vitamin D deficiency, Davis says. In fact, people absorb the nutrient more efficiently by incorporating it into their diet. Davis suggests people rely on fish, fortified milk, fortified breads or vitamin tablets for their daily allowance of vitamin D. Plus, Nair adds, even the strongest sunscreens don’t stop all UVB radiation from affecting skin, and people will “still experience penetration of at least 10 percent or so of the sun’s rays needed to generate the active form of vitamin D.”
Myth: Tanning Helps Treat and Prevent Acne
UV radiation from the sun or a tanning bed can damage inflammatory immune system cells in skin tissue and as a result suppress any existing acne flareups. But the clearer complexion is usually only temporary, Davis says. Tanning or burning regularly can actually worsen acne in the long term by disrupting skin cells’ ability to heal scars and blemishes, she says.
Some safer types of light therapy, such as blue light treatments to eliminate skin-residing bacteria that clog pores, can help remedy acne. Davis recommends that people concerned about their complexion speak with a dermatologist about treatment options.
Myth: Tanning Is Risky for Only Older Adults—Not Teens and Young Adults
As people age and their cells reproduce more slowly, skin becomes thinner, wrinkled and more vulnerable to light damage. The immune system’s strength generally wanes with time, too, making it especially difficult for older people to recover from sunburns and fight off related infections that can occur when broken or peeled skin is exposed to germs. Older adults should be extra cautious about tanning and prolonged sun exposure—but that doesn’t mean teens and young adults are immune to the health repercussions.
Skin cancer, which is typically caused by overexposure to UV radiation, is the most common type of cancer in the U.S., affecting one in five people at some point in their lifetime. It is most commonly diagnosed in older people: in 2018 more than two thirds of new cases of melanoma, the most severe type of skin cancer, were in people age 55 and older. But the disease is currently the fourth most common cancer in people under age 40 in the U.S. (behind breast, thyroid and testicular cancers). And though many types of skin cancer have a high recovery rate when caught early, Nair says that young people are usually less likely to get skin cancer screenings than those age 55 and older, making it especially easy for their diseases to progress unnoticed.
Nair adds that social media users—particularly adolescents and young adults—are constantly exposed to misinformation and disinformation about tanning. Viral Instagram and TikTok posts can induce viewers to ditch sunscreen for unsafe tanning techniques. One such social media trend boasted the use of Pam cooking spray to achieve a golden, toasted-looking glow. This common pantry item is made mostly of canola oil, which does not block UV rays and shouldn’t be used in place of sunscreen. Another trend showcases applying sunblock on only parts of the face to generate contrast between tanned and paler skin and exaggerate facial structure—creating a “tanned contour.” This leaves uncovered skin vulnerable to the sun; it’s much safer to accentuate facial features using makeup.
To steer people away from these types of dangerous fads, public health organizations need to start rethinking how and where they communicate sun safety information, says Jeff Niederdeppe, a communications and public policy professor at Cornell University. “Public health has to meet people where they are—to reach young people on the channels and platforms that they use,” he says. “The field recognizes this but may lack the expertise or knowledge about ways that these platforms work and how young people engage with them.”
Myth: How Dangerous Tanning Is Depends on a Person’s Natural Skin Tone
Although the speed at which an individual tans or burns can vary depending on their natural skin tone, people of all skin shades are susceptible to sun damage; no one is exempt from needing protection. “The healthiest tan is the color of skin that you were born with and that your body makes naturally,” Davis says.
As an alternative to suntanning, people looking to achieve a sun-kissed glow should opt for sunless tanning lotions or spray tans, which Davis says contain safe chemicals that won’t damage skin cells. Users should, however, be careful to not get these products in their mouth, eyes or nose.
And people shouldn’t be terrified of our star, either. “There is absolutely no danger in being active outside in the sunshine,” Nair says. “Being outside has tremendous benefits to our psychological and physical health.” Both Davis and Nair say that usually the challenge is convincing people they should cap their sun exposure—not get more of it—which is why most doctors push SPF-level products so heavily. In the end, there is no hard rule for the precise amount of time a person can safely spend in the sun. In some cases, especially for people whose jobs require them to be outdoors, risky rays are hard to avoid. The key, Nair says, is to always protect your skin even when you think the sun doesn’t look or feel that strong. “Just remember to have all good things in moderation and don’t forget plenty of sunscreen,” he adds.