BBC: There is no such thing as a healthy tan, according to a dermatologist who treats hundreds of cases of skin cancer every year.
One in four men and one in five women in the UK will be diagnosed with skin cancer during their lifetime.
In Wales, it makes up 47% of all cancers - the highest rate of all UK nations.
The damage is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation, or UV, produced by the sun.
Dr Rachel Abbott, consultant dermatologist at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, said: "There is such thing as a healthy fake tan. But unfortunately, to induce tanning in the skin, you have to induce damage to the DNA in your skin cells.
"So there's no way of getting a healthy tan from the sun or from a sunbed."
Too much UV exposure can lead to tanning, sunburn, premature ageing and eye damage. It is also the main cause of skin cancer. (+ videos) » | Sabrina Lee, BBC Wales meteorologist | Thursday, July 20, 2023
Don’t forget to add sunbathing to the list! The list of the causes of cancer grows ever longer: smoking; drinking alcohol; eating carcinogenic foods, which appear to be most of them; air pollution; too little sleep; loneliness; and UV exposure (sunbathing). I wonder what will come next on the list?
I don’t want to sound flippant, because cancer is a terrible disease in all its forms; but these days, one must ask oneself if there is indeed anything pleasurable or any activity enjoyed by people that scientists believe does NOT cause cancer? – © Mark Alexander
