One in nine UK adults have admitted to deliberately burning their skin in hopes of getting a tan.
About 14 per cent of adults have either used sunbeds or sunbathed to deliberately burn their skin, according to a survey of more than 3,000 Britons for the charity Melanoma Focus.
But experts have warned ignoring the serious consequences of UV exposure only increases the risk of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer - melanoma.
Almost a third (28 per cent) believe burning will make their tan look better and 41 per cent said they sunburn to achieve a “deeper tan”.
Some said they think sunburn looks attractive (8 per cent), while others admitted to copying social media (12 per cent) or doing it to create tan lines (16 per cent).
More than a quarter (26 per cent) said they purposely burnt their skin more than three times a year, while 70 per cent said they did it approximately twice a year.
But getting sunburnt just a handful of times can have potentially deadly consequences, even one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life, according to Melanoma Focus.
"It is alarming to see that so many individuals are putting themselves at serious risk by deliberately burning their skin, and overlooking the vital importance of sun protection. Melanoma skin cancer is extremely serious and five or more sunburns over your lifetime can double your risk of developing this potentially deadly disease,” Susanna Daniels, chief executive of Melanoma Focus, said.
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the country with around 19,400 new cases every year. It also is the most deadly causing approximately 2,600 deaths each year in the UK.
The survey also revealed 35 per cent of respondents never use sunscreen in the UK during the summer months - a figure that rises to 41 per cent among men.
Skin cancer sufferer, Darren Barker, from London, explained he had a few sunburns in his life even though he didn’t travel abroad much and warned the cancer is more common than people think.
The 48-year-old who was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in 2023 after noticing a mole on his leg had changed, said his diagnosis made him realise “how fragile the skin is”.
“Skin burning, whether deliberate or accidental, reflects a lack of awareness that needs urgent attention. In the UK, the UV index can be deceptively high, and we’re seeing more men admitted to hospital with severe sunburn than women,” Dr Thomas Carter, consultant medical oncologist at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in northwest London said, urging everyone, particularly men, to take care of their skin and wear sunscreen.
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