According to the survey, many of the Gen-Z respondents did not know that tanning is harmful to the skin whatsoever, as 38% thought that a suntan is safe as long as the skin doesn’t get burned. Further, the survey showed that 60% of individuals got a tan in 2021, and 27% were under the impression that having a “base tan” (the first tan of the season) decreases the risk of developing skin cancer.
This could not be more false: “There is no such thing as a safe tan,” board-certified dermatologist and YouTube creator Andrea Suarez, M.D., FAAD, once shared with mbg. “Tanning is an injury response to UV rays from the sun. The same rays that tan the skin also lead to permanent skin injury, premature skin aging, and increased skin cancer risk.”
The survey also included questions related to sunscreen application, function, and overall sun protection, resulting in the following stats:
