8 hours Ago By Lana Andelane
THREE KEY FACTS Influencers admit to using sunbeds, despite the well-documented risks. As of 2017, commercial operators are prohibited from providing sunbed sessions to under-18s in Aotearoa. UV-emitting tanning devices are classified as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organisation’s cancer agency.
Sunbeds are a classified carcinogen and can lead to premature ageing, pigmentation and cancer. In a world where social media runs the gamut of human behaviour, from beauty standards to trending products, influencers touting sunbeds can be extremely harmful. Why are people still using them? The Herald’s Lana Andelane spoke to the experts to find out.
When a popular British influencer admitted her flawless, year-round tan was the work of sunbeds, it should not have been a surprise. A curious fan asked Madison Sarah, who boasts 214,000 followers on TikTok, how she maintained her perma-tan: a question raised many a time by viewers seeking to emulate her golden glow. She replied to the comment that she used sunbeds to top up her tan, despite also frequently promoting fake-tanning products.
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