“Tan lines” and “burn lines”: Health Minister warns against dangerous tans popularized on social media

Sun-tattoo , burn-lines or tan-lines : the Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, warned on Tuesday, July 29, about the dangers of trends launched on social networks encouraging people to expose themselves to the sun without protection, leaving traces of tanning. "For a few seconds of buzz on social networks [young people] destroy their cells for life. We only have one skin," said the minister on BFM-TV . He adds that with Clara Chappaz (Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs) they will "seize" the platforms to ban these messages which are dangerous.

“Voluntarily burning your skin for a TikTok or Instagram video: that’s what I’ve been seeing on social media for a few weeks now with sun tattoos, burn lines and tan lines,” Yannick Neuder explained in a video posted on several social media networks on Monday.

These trends – mostly promoted in English-language videos – involve skipping sunscreen to create very defined tan lines or drawing a pattern with sunscreen to leave a mark, similar to a temporary tattoo. "Exposing yourself to the sun without cream or any protection, sometimes even with oils or monoi, getting a temporary tattoo on your skin while getting sunburned: we have to stop all that, it's very dangerous," warned the Minister for Health and Access to Healthcare.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays is, in fact, the main factor in skin cancer. Each year in France, between 141,200 and 243,500 skin cancers are diagnosed, including 112,960 to 194,800 caused by excessive UV exposure, according to Public Health France.

"We know that sunburn in children significantly increases the risk of cancer in adulthood, the risk of melanoma," insists Mr. Neuder.

In its pre-summer prevention campaign, the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) clarified that there is no such thing as a "healthy tan." "The latter constitutes an attack on the skin, a sign of a reaction that is triggered against the damage caused by UV rays, whether natural or artificial. Tanned skin therefore indicates that the DNA has suffered damage," the institute insists.

When exposed to the sun, the use of sunscreen is essential and should be reapplied every two hours, but even the most effective sunscreens – SPF 50 – do not filter out all UV rays.

The Minister of Health reminds us that sun protection must be multifaceted: wear tightly woven or UV-treated clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and avoid exposure during the hottest hours of the day. ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety) published advice on May 12 on risky behaviors (sunbeds, dietary supplements, self-tanners).