TikTok’s ‘UV Index Tanning’ Craze Can Age Your Skin and Increase Cancer Risk

• TikTok’s latest harmful trend encourages people to chase high UV index readings to achieve a tan.
• Being outside for long periods of time when the UV index is high can put you at risk for skin cancer and premature aging.
• Experts explain the purpose of the UV Index Scale and how to stay safe in the sun.

Getting a tan is something many people strive for during summer months, and TikTok users are following the advice of influencers pushing “ UV Index Tanning .”

This is a dangerous trend that encourages people to go in the sun during high ultraviolet (UV) index readings to achieve a tan.

While these influencers are misinformed and spreading harmful health information, many of their videos are getting millions of views.

“Targeting a high UV index is opposite of what people should be doing,” Morgan Rabach , MD, a board certified dermatologist and co-founder of LM Medical , told Healthline.

In fact, the UV Index Scale was created by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help people make smart, healthy choices about sun exposure, not as a means to garner a tan.

The indexes range from 0-11 and indicate the following:

• 0-2: Low exposure and no protection needed
• 3-7: Moderate to high exposure and protection needed
• 8 and above: Very high to extreme exposure and extra protection needed

“Now tweens are targeting the highest indexes to get tan fast, seeking outside time when the index is at its highest moments 8 and above,” said Rabach.

The higher the UV index, the higher the risk for skin cancer

The reality is the higher the UV index reading, the less time it takes for the skin to get burned and the greater the risk of harm from UV exposure — that includes harm to the skin and eyes.

“If it’s a UV Index higher than 6, your risk of sunburn and sun cancer is much higher,” Monalisa Tailor, MD, primary care doctor at Norton Medical Group, told Healthline. “High UV index is not how we want to get a tan.”

Over 33,000 sunburns land people in the emergency room each year, according to the National Cancer Institute . Moreover, sunburns, especially those that occur in youth, increase the risk of developing skin cancer like melanoma in the future.

Experiencing five or more blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 increases melanoma risk by 80% and nonmelanoma skin cancer risk by 68%.

“We are currently seeing a rise in skin cancers in individuals who were born in the 1980s-1990s. It was not common practice when they were younger to wear sunscreen unless they were at the beach or the pool,” said Tailor.

Not using sunscreen regularly has increased this group’s risk of skin cancers later in life, she added. “Skin biopsies hurt. There are so many sensory nerves on the skin. The more we avoid a skin biopsy for the future, the better we will feel,” said Tailor.

In addition to cancer concerns related to tanning, she said people should also be concerned about the sun’s ability to cause wrinkles and early signs of skin aging.

Sun exposure can lead to wrinkles, too

In addition to skin cancer, sun exposure in childhood can affect the way skin ages for the rest of your life.

For instance, according to the EPA, up to 90% of skin changes that are often thought to be the cause of aging are actually caused by the sun. Over time, getting too much sun can make skin thick, wrinkled, and leathery.

When the sun causes the skin to prematurely age, this is called photoaging , photodamage, solar damage, or sun damage .

What is happening to the skin?

When exposed to UV light, the skin’s DNA changes at a cellular level, and it may take many years before damage to the skin is noticed.

Dark patches on the face, called melasma , and freckles are also caused by the sun.

The sun can also affect the eyes. UV light ages eye structures, causing corneal damage, cataracts , and macular degeneration , which causes blurred or reduced vision.

How to protect yourself while in the sun

Getting sun has benefits, such as stimulating the production of Vitamin D , which may help decrease the risk of certain cancers , such as colon and ovarian.

It can also boost the mood-enhancing hormone serotonin and may help some people with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis .

But protecting yourself from the sun is key to reaping its benefits without all the potential harm. While spending time in the sun , consider the following:

• Stay outside for less than 30 minutes with a UV index between 3 and 5.
• Wear a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. The numbers in SPF refer to the amount of time it would take to burn your skin. “So, an SPF of 30 would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen, and an SPF 50 would take you 50 times longer to burn,” said Rabach. However, this varies depending on the person.
• Reapply sunscreen . Regardless of the SPF number, apply enough sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside and reapply it every two hours. “Sometimes, people use the higher SPFs and think they are protected longer, which is true, but it causes them to not reapply, and they wind up getting burned,” Rabach said.
• Wear protective clothing like a hat, UV shirts or jackets, and sunglasses.
• Use tinted sunscreens and bronzers to get a tanned look rather than staying in the sun for extended hours.