An old and dangerous tanning trend is making a big comeback due to its spread on social media, including TikTok and experts are sounding the alarm.
The bad idea is pouring beer on the skin to get a tan, with some internet users claiming it provides ‘the best tan ever’ while being affordable, reports UK outlet, The Sun.
But experts point it out: beer not only makes the skin sticky, attracts insects, dehydrates, and exposes you to sunburn, and not to mention, skin cancer.
“I can hardly believe this madness exists. This is an extremely dangerous so-called ‘trend’ with potentially very serious consequences,” Kathryn Clifford, co-founder of skin cancer awareness charity Skcin, told the UK publication.
“Tanning enthusiasts of all kinds are at serious risk of developing all types of skin cancer. The burning of the skin by sunburn is strongly linked to the development of melanoma, the most serious form of the disease. In addition, skin cancer is disproportionately high in young adults and one of the deadliest cancers in the 15 to 34 age group.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer.
Approximately one-third of all new cancer cases in Canada are skin cancers and the rate continues to rise. About 1,200 Canadians die each year from skin cancer caused by melanoma, according to data from the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Overexposure to UV rays causes 95% of melanomas, making them almost entirely preventable,” says Anne Cust, chair of the Australian Cancer Council’s National Skin Committee.
Other experts warn that the use of beer, without any SPF, obviously increases the risk of sunburn, and also premature aging of the skin.
People think that the use of beer can activate the tan because of the hops which would increase the production of melanin, a substance that makes the skin darker.
Any method used to speed up tanning actually does more harm than good and will lead to permanent skin damage, experts argue.
In Britain, many are calling for a ban on this kind of content widely found on TikTok.
In Australia, where authorities have taken action, TikTok is actively banning such content. Warning messages also appear on videos related to tanning.