"Any tan is a sign of skin damage and long-term skin damage can accumulate to cause premature ageing and increase the risk of skin cancer," the Cancer Society's Emma Shields says. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
With an exceptionally hot summer on the cards, concerns have been raised about a new sunbathing trend.
Cancer Society prevention policy lead Emma Shields said it was alarming to see teenagers on TikTok promoting the UV Index (UVI) as a tanning guide.
The UVI shown on weather and forecasting apps is intended help people know when to use sun protection.
Several Aucklanders RNZ spoke to at Mission Bay said they had come to the beach after checking the sun was strong.
Eighteen-year-old Anastasia Campos said she made sure to lay in the sun when the UV was high.
"I text the group chat 'UV 9 today let's go to the beach'."
She said she was not worried about skin damage.
"Tanning gives me a nice summer glow and it makes me happy. I have a competition with my brother and right now he's more tan than me.
"I've been to a dermatologist and I put on sunscreen every morning whether it's sunny or not and re-apply so I don't get burnt.
"There's a different between burning and tanning. You can tan but still be sun safe."
Aimee Clink and Emma Corbett said they learnt about the UV trend at school.
"I always look at the UV because I like getting tan. If it's more than eight I'm heading out," Clink said.
"I wear sunscreen sometimes but I've never really cared about the harm that could happen to me."
"I've seen the trend on TikTok. You look better when you are tan versus pale," Corbett said.
Twenty-nine-year-old Manon Diebolt was also excited to tan now the weather was getting warmer.
"I like tanning but I know in New Zealand the sun is quite dangerous so I try to refrain from burning myself."
George Powell, who is 26, said he did not check the UVI but had seen the trend.
"It's nice to get a good tan but if the sun is out we come and if it's not we don't. It's more of an intuitive feeling."
Another beach-goer, 19-year-old Eliza Patton, said she was trying to be more sun safe.
"I normally get burnt so this summer I'm trying hard not too.
"Last summer I got freaked out because I started peeling.
"But I like tanning because it's something fun you can do with your friends that doesn't cost money."
Brooklyn Menzies, who is 18, said she would tan as a social activity, but regularly applied sunscreen.
"I don't make it a routine to tan. But if my friends ask me to go out tanning and swimming I'll do it for fun."
Shields said young people intentionally increasing their sun exposure when UV radiation was high could have devastating long-term effects.
"It's particularly dangerous for New Zealand teens because we can get high levels of ultraviolet radiation.
She asserted there was no such thing as a 'healthy tan'.
"Any tan is a sign of skin damage and long-term skin damage can accumulate to cause premature ageing and increase the risk of skin cancer."
Alongside Australia, she said New Zealand consistently had the highest skin cancer rates in the world.
She said there had been significant cuts to investment in SunSmart messaging in recent years and this had started to show.
"We would like to see the government put more money into skin cancer awareness campaigns and education around Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap."
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