Tan lines have recently become a standard of beauty; girls are constantly trying to obtain those streaks of color across their hips. Now, they’re taking it further and creating what they call #SunburnArt—using sunblock or stencils to cover patterns on the skin, and then tanning, or even burning, to reveal an almost “reverse” tattoo. It’s an easy way for girls to show how tan they’ve become this summer, while also revealing a cute design on their skin. The problem can be found in the damage to the skin that comes with sunburn art. By exposing the skin to harsh UV rays, and even aiming to become sunburned, girls are increasing their risk of skin damage tenfold.
Tina Alster, M.D., is the director at the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, and she has some strong words when prompted about the new trend. “To use the sun to do that is ridiculous," she said. "I have people coming into my office all day long for sunspots and wrinkles, and these people will be doing the same in another 20 years. The problem is people don't see the damage right away, but everyone shows it down the line. Your skin never forgets. It serves as a memory bank for all the sun damage you acquire over the years."
Using the sun to create an imprint in the skin is a dangerous venture, and dermatologists warn against it. Intentionally sunburning the skin is incredibly dangerous and raises the risk for melanoma. Once the #sunburnart hashtag became more popular on social media, the senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, released a statement on behalf of the Foundation.
“The Skin Cancer Foundation strongly advises the public to avoid sunburns at all costs,” she stated. “A sunburn is not only painful – it’s dangerous, and comes with consequences. Sunburns cause DNA damage to the skin, accelerate skin aging and increase your lifetime skin cancer risk. In fact, sustaining five or more sunburns in youth increases lifetime melanoma risk by 80 percent. On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns.” Using these statistics, the Skin Cancer Foundation hopes that their statement can deter at least a few from using sunburn art.
Research shows that it doesn’t matter whether you burn or tan—any exposure to UV rays will ultimately change the DNA in your skin. Deep tans and burns can fragment the collagen in the skin, and make it appear old. An increase in sun exposure will rapidly increase the speed at which the skin ages, which is not something that everyone thinks about when they tan.
While the “art” that emerges from sunburn art may appeal to some, it’s important to remember that there are other, safer ways to achieve the look. Perhaps look into a self tanner to use at home, like Loving Tan or Jergens Natural Glow. Both brands have perfected their formula to provide a natural tan that can easily fool others into thinking you spent hours in the sun. By using alternative methods and avoiding extensive tanning, especially the sunburn art trend, you can maintain healthy, glowing skin and prevent developing any kind of dangerous skin cancer.