Dr Amy Perkins, a consultant dermatologist, has called for the UK to ban commercial sunbeds. She states that rising melanoma rates necessitate more than just awareness campaigns, highlighting how digital platforms are normalising harmful attitudes towards sun exposure.
Dr Perkins observes that social media algorithms often reward content that provokes strong reactions, allowing extreme tanning routines, dramatic before-and-after images, and misleading health claims to spread more widely than balanced medical advice. She notes that UV radiation from sunbeds is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization's cancer agency.
The dermatologist also points out that sunbed outlets are more concentrated in deprived communities, raising a health-equity issue. She suggests that a national skin-cancer prevention strategy should be central to the government's national cancer plan, combining behaviour-change programmes, community education, and support for early detection.
Dr Perkins advocates for the UK to follow the example of Australia, Brazil, and Iran, which have banned commercial sunbeds. She also stresses the importance of prevention starting in childhood, including digital literacy to help children question online health claims and understand algorithmic influence.