Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus are just four of the countries popular with Brits looking for a tan over summer.
Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus are just four of the countries popular with Brits looking for a tan over summer.
A viral tanning trend has sparked warnings for UK tourists visiting the most popular holiday hotspots this summer. Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus are just four of the countries popular with Brits looking for a tan over summer.
But a trend doing the rounds on TikTok has sparked frantic warnings. The trend sees UK tourists documenting their huge skin changes while abroad.
Dr. Sarah Thompson, a leading dermatologist at King’s College London, said: “What these young people are essentially documenting is severe sun damage occurring in real-time. This kind of rapid skin darkening indicates significant UV exposure that can have serious long-term consequences.”
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A second viral “sun tattoo” hack, which has already racked up millions of views on the app, sees users applying suncream in patterns like hearts or lettering before lying out in the sun to get a tan.
TikToker @Mayceewhipple garnered over eight million views, showing off her DIY sunscreen tattoos. But Maddie Cridge, in-house spa therapist at SpaSeekers, has warned sun-worshippers against the trend, calling it “harmful” and “misleading”.
She explained: “There’s a growing misconception that using sunscreen to create ‘tattoos’ is a harmless way to personalise your tan.
“In reality, this trend can leave parts of your skin completely unprotected – leading to sunburn, irritation and long-term damage.”
She added: “Instead of playing with trends like this, make daily SPF a non-negotiable.
“With around 1 in 7 Brits admitting they never apply sunscreen, we need to stop seeing SPF as something just for summer holidays.”
The NHS has warned that sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer – saying despite the common misconception, sunburn ”does not just happen on holiday”.
”There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects,” the NHS has advised online.