Skin cancer risk can increase with dangerous new trend, doctors warn
Dermatologists are warning about the dangers of a TikTok trend where teens create "sunburn tattoos."
This entails allowing the skin to get sunburned while wearing stickers, tape or sunscreen in order to create artistic designs.
Although some young adults told Fox News Digital that they use their skin as a canvas to create these sunburn displays for social media attention and because it "looks cool," skin care experts say this could be harmful to skin health.
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"Regardless of how creative or harmless it appears, any sunburn is skin injury," Dr. Anthony Rossi, a double board-certified dermatologic surgeon in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
"This ‘sunburn tattoo’ trend still involves deliberate UV damage to the skin, which — over time — can increase the risk of both immediate and long-term consequences."
Sunburn accelerates the skin’s aging process and elevates the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma, the deadliest form.
"A pattern that produces shapes might look cool in a photo, but it can create dangerous UV hotspots — and the damage is cumulative," cautioned the doctor, who is also the founder of the Dr. Rossi skincare line.
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Rossi shared how many of his older patients recall the days of using iodine, baby oil and sun reflectors to tan — and now they are dealing with the consequences.
"I regularly see patients who had frequent tanning — whether via booths or exposure — during adolescence," he said. "By their 30s and 40s, many of them already presented with pre-cancerous lesions or actual skin cancers."
"These can lead to multiple surgeries, scars and melanoma, which can metastasize and be fatal."
Dr. Sara Moghaddam, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon who practices at Delmarva Skin Specialists in Selbyville, Delaware, noted that the sunburn tattoo trend is concerning and significantly increases the risk of future skin cancer in teenagers.
"Experiencing five or more blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 can increase an individual's melanoma risk by 80%," Moghaddam told Fox News Digital.
When a sunburn occurs, the UV radiation damages the DNA within skin cells, which leads to mutations that can cause cells to grow uncontrollably, potentially leading to skin cancer, she said.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) confirms that every time the skin tans, it sustains some degree of damage.
"As this damage builds, you speed up the aging of your skin and increase your risk for all types of skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer," the AAD’s website states.
Both dermatologists said a spray tan may be a safer alternative to achieving a temporary "tan tattoo" look.
"Spray tans utilize dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar that reacts with amino acids in the skin's top layer, to create a temporary brown color," Moghaddam said.
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"There's no evidence that DHA from spray tans is harmful; the color simply fades as the skin naturally exfoliates."
Rossi cautioned, however, that spray tans come with some risk if inhaled improperly. He also warned that they don’t protect against future burns.
To protect the skin from sun damage and reduce skin cancer risk, the AAD recommends seeking shade when possible, especially if "your shadow is shorter than you," and to be mindful that the sun’s peak hours are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
A sun protection routine should include using broad-spectrum sunscreen and wearing UV-protective clothing, including wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses, when outdoors, experts advise.
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Rossi added, "UV damage is insidious — it’s not just about the short-lived image, but the lifelong consequence."