“Tanmaxxing,” a trend to get as deeply tanned as possible, is gaining traction on social media and reviving a 1990s-2000s beauty craze despite known health risks.
“No such thing as a safe tan,” said Dr. Tola Oyesanya, a dermatologist with the Kaiser Permanente Lutherville-Timonium Medical Center in Maryland. “Any tan caused by sun exposure is a dangerous tan.”
The trend primarily targets Gen Z, with videos of “tanfluencers” encouraging people to skip the sunscreen and spend more time in the sun, especially on high UV index days when there’s a bigger risk of sun damage.
Tanning booths are even worse, Oyesanya said, producing radiation exposure 10 to 15 times stronger than the midday sun.
“Tanning is basically a sign of our skin being damaged by these UV radiation rays,” she said. “The more tan you are, the more cumulative sun exposure you get over time, the higher the risk of skin cancer.”
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. It’s estimated one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes.
“It’s really scary, because it really shows how powerful social media misinformation is,” Oyesanya said. “So many young people are getting their medical information from influencers who have no medical training and no background to make the claims that they are making.”
Tanning also increases the risk of premature aging. Oyesanya warned young people that a tanned complexion now will likely bring regrets in the future.
“It causes wrinkles, it causes brown spots on the skin, it causes the loss of elasticity of the skin,” she said. “All of this is going to contribute to early aging of skin that makes people look leathery and orange.”
To protect your skin, Oyesanya advises using sunscreen every day, at least SPF 30 to 50. Reapply every two hours normally but every 45 minutes if you’re sweating or swimming.
Try to avoid the peak hours of sun, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you still want that summertime glow, over-the-counter sunless tanners or spray tans are safe.