Irish people know skin cancer risks but think it's all right to get 'slightly sunburned'

The study of more than 1,000 people found tanned skin is still seen as a sign of beauty and not “dangerous” sun damage. iStock

Almost half of the people surveyed for a new study said they have used sunbeds despite knowing the risks to their skin — and many who sunbathe believe it is worth getting “slightly sunburned” to get a tan.

These “horrifying” findings have prompted the Cork-based doctors and researchers who carried out the study to say more skin cancer education is urgently needed.

The study of more than 1,000 people found tanned skin is still seen as a sign of beauty and not “dangerous” sun damage.

Health campaigns need to challenge this more effectively, the authors said. They also called for more research into the “potential addictive nature” of sunbathing as their research shows people know the risks but sunbathe without protection anyway.

Out of 1,043 people who took part in the study, the largest of its kind in Ireland, 10.6% had used a sunbed in the last year with an average of eight sessions each.

Some 41.5% have used sunbeds at any time, the study, under senior author Professor Michelle Murphy at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital  and University College Cork, found.

Other worrying findings include:

• Some 69.4% said they feel and look better with a tan. They like to sunbathe to boost their Vitamin D supply or while socialising. Some people said they need a tan for their job or hobby;
• There is “an obvious disconnect” between what people believe and how they actually behave. Some 79.3% feel they know what to do to avoid getting sunburnt but 49% said they sunbathe and half of this group feel it is worth getting “slightly sunburned” to get a tan.
• The most common reason for not using sunscreen is because it is inconvenient at 44.9%.

Co-author Catriona Gallagher said the use of sun-beds is “horrifying” especially as the data was gathered during the pandemic when tanning beds should have been in lockdown.

“There’s this enduring appeal of a tan, it’s so deeply ingrained in society and I think it will just take time to change that,” Dr Gallagher told the Irish Examiner.

I think we need to get out there that tanning is dangerous. It doesn’t represent health, it represents skin damage. 

The dermatologist is also worried the study found less than half of those surveyed are “confident” they would recognise skin cancer signs.

“Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Ireland, and many deaths from skin cancer are preventable with early treatment,” she said.

Among those who do not sunbathe, the most common reason was being worried about getting wrinkles or pigmentary changes to their skin.

Dr Gallagher said positive beliefs towards sunbathing need to change.

“Changing these deeply ingrained cultural and social beliefs remains a significant challenge for melanoma prevention efforts,” she said.

Our public health campaigns need a multifaceted approach to shift public perception of tanned skin from a sign of beauty to a sign of skin damage. 

The study also calls for research into the “potential addictive nature of UV seeking behaviour”.

Dr Gallagher said “the research isn’t there yet” but some small studies indicated frequent tanners have similar behaviour patterns to people addicted to alcohol.

The study found most people considered tanned skin to be attractive, but added: “Whether this popularity of bronzed skin represents a biological addiction or an aesthetic preference remains incompletely understood.”

Co-author Cathal O’Connor advised people to watch out for signs of skin cancer. These can include: “moles that have changed colour, shape, or size, as well as any new lumps or bumps that have grown quickly, with bleeding or crusting”.

The study, ‘Beliefs, behaviours, and attitudes towards tanning and melanoma in the Irish population’, is published in the journal Skin Health and Disease.