Skin experts warn over ‘extremely dangerous’ new TikTok trend that claims to give the ‘best sun tan ever’
- TikTokers are pouring beer over themselves in a bizarre method to tan faster
- Skin experts warn against the trend and say it could cause heat stroke or worse
- They say the trend is ‘insanity’ and may put you at risk of developing skin cancer
The combination of summer and beer can produce some unwelcome results…. but it’s usually your head that suffers.
But not content with drinking a refreshing lager, a new fad is seeing youngsters smothering themselves in the stuff as a bizarre alternative to sun lotion.
The ill-advised ‘beer tanning trend’ is doing the rounds on TikTok, with influencers claiming it produces the ‘best tan ever’.
One such influencer, who goes by the name @imracim, advises his 25,000 followers to ‘buy the cheapest beer, take a beer shower’ then ‘enjoy the suuun [sic]’.
While ‘The Sfeir Family’ TikTok account, with nearly 320,000 followers, shared ‘mama Sfeir’s tanning hack’ video featuring a young woman screaming as she’s doused with two glasses of cold beer.
Health experts are far from convinced, suggesting the practice could lead to heat stroke or sun poisoning – or at the very least turn you into a sticky fly magnet.
Some users are pairing their beer with Sun Protection Factor, but skin experts have warned against the trend entirely.
Skin experts warn against participating in the new ‘beer trend’ which users claim gives you the ‘best tan ever’
The bizarre trend sees users swapping sun cream for beer and basking until they turn bronze
The dangerous trend could have severe consequences according to experts and could lead to heat stroke or sun poisoning
The NHS says there is no safe way to get a tan and that sun bathers should protect themselves between peak sun hours
Kathryn Clifford, co-founder of skin cancer awareness charity Skcin, told The Sun: ‘I can barely believe this insanity exists. This is an extremely dangerous so-called ‘trend’ with potentially very serious consequences.
‘Sun damage is cumulative, irreparable and the direct cause of 90 per cent of the UK’s most common cancer.
‘Tan-seekers of all kinds are at serious risk of developing all types of skin cancer and burning of the skin is strongly linked to the development of melanoma – the most serious life-threatening form of the disease.’
Ms Clifford warned that skin cancer is disproportionately high in young adults and is one of the biggest killing cancers in the 15 to 34 age group – the same bracket which seems to be embracing the trend online.
‘Given that one in five of us in the UK will develop skin cancer – this kind of damaging content should be banned and TikTok should use it as an opportunity to educate their users and raise awareness on a global public health concern.’
Other skin experts shared the same concerns about the ‘unthinkable lengths’ sunbathers will go to.
A skin expert said: ‘I can barely believe this insanity exists’ and warned against the damage it could do to your skin
Searches in the UK for ‘beer tan’ have reportedly increased by 137% since March, some participants in the trend are pairing the beer with SPF
Skin experts warn it only takes ten minutes in the sun without SPF to start burning and suggest sun bathers need an SPF of factor 30 or higher
Jason Goldberg, director at SpaSeekers, warned that bronzing in beer could leave you vulnerable to sun poisoning.
Stefano Pietrini warned: ‘Using beer to tan, especially without SPF significantly raises the risk of sunburn, heatstroke and, with continued use, premature ageing.’
He said that without SPF, it only takes ten minutes in the sun to start burning and over time can pose the risk of skin cancer caused by sun damage.
However, according to Metro online searches in the UK for ‘beer tan’ have increased by more than 137% since March, which suggests cost of living-friendly tanning products are on the rise.
How to stay safe in the sun
The NHS advices the following:
- Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm
- Never burn
- Cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses
- Take extra care with children
- Use at least factor 30 sun cream
But, Stefano warned: ‘Any method used to accelerate tanning actually does more harm than good and will result in permanent skin damage.’
The NHS website states: ‘There is no healthy way to get a tan,’ and sunbathers should do their best to protect themselves from the sun, especially between peak hours.
Sun bathers should also use at least factor 30 sun cream, and make sure the product has a UVA star rating of four or more.
UV exposure is a proven to contributor to skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the UK, and can be preventable.
The disease kills more than 2,500 per year and more than at least 100,000 people are diagnosed annually.
Cancer Research UK advises applying sun cream evenly and thickly and reapply regularly and throughout the day – which includes ‘water resistant’ and ‘once a day’ products’.
The charity also advises checking the expiry date on the product before you use it. You can find this by searching for the letter ‘M’ and a number which shows how many months the product will last.
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