Skin under stress
Why it’s time to ditch the tan
Skin under stress
Why it’s time to ditch the tan
Melanoma expert and Australian of the Year, Professor Georgina Long AO, has good news: Your risk of skin cancer starts to fall the minute you stop suntanning. This Women’s Health Week, she explains what happens when you tan, how to change our bronze obsession and why skin self-checks are a good idea.
From ‘no hat, no play’ to ‘Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide’, Australia’s sun-safe campaigns are iconic. Yet, melanoma is the second most common cancer among women. What’s going on?
Prof Long: One of the things we’re very concerned about, particularly in the younger generation, is this glamorisation of tanning. A tan is considered beautiful. Australians will say, ‘It makes me look slimmer, I look better in my clothes, I look healthier, people comment when I’ve got a bit of colour, you’re glowing, you look great.’
This attitude dates back to the 1950s when people started wearing skimpier clothes, and now, with social media, that whole tanning culture’s in full force.
You’ve said before that a tan is skin cells in trauma. What exactly happens when you suntan?
Prof Long: Tanning is your body putting up a defence. In your skin you have cells called ‘melanocytes’. When the sun hits your skin, these melanocytes produce a pigment called ‘melanin’. This pigment makes your skin darker and helps protect it from sun damage. But it only protects you to a point.
When you tan, your skin is saying, ‘Trauma, trauma, I’m trying to protect you, but I can’t do this forever.’ What ends up happening is your risk of skin cancer increases.
How do we go about tackling this tanning problem when it is so on trend?
Prof Long: It’s going to take a long time and a lot of different strategies to change attitudes. It’s been done with smoking. Young people today would probably be shocked to know that smoking was once considered cool and glamorous.
Another example is fashion. When you’re a teenager, you haven’t seen multiple cycles of fashion. You cannot imagine a world where what you’re wearing today may one day be uncool. I think we can do a similar thing with tanning because at the end of the day it’s just fashion. It’s superficial – a perception of beauty. It’ll take a massive cultural shift, but it’s doable.
Tanning trends
Around 9 in 10 Australians aged 18 to 30 suntan on purpose or accidentally. Meanwhile, 31% think it’s okay to suntan at their age. #EndTheTrend
What’s your advice about skin self-checks? Should women be doing these?
Prof Long: My advice to all women is to check your skin about once a month, no matter your skin colour. This means stripping down to your undies and checking your whole body. Don’t forget to check between your fingers and toes. Get someone you trust to take a photo of your back or try to take a photo yourself. If you notice a new or changing spot that doesn’t go away, particularly if it changes rapidly, get it checked by your doctor.
Knowing the skin you’re in is so important because when we look at all of the people diagnosed with melanoma, the vast majority have picked it up themselves.
About melanoma
Of all the different types of skin cancer, melanoma is the most serious. But if caught early, most melanomas can be successfully treated.
What about routine skin checks with a doctor?
Prof Long: If you have a high risk of skin cancer, the advice is to have regular skin checks with a doctor. High risk includes people with a lot of moles, a strong family history of skin cancer, or a personal history of the disease. Your doctor can tell you how often to have these checks.
What’s one key message you want the women of Australia to know about skin health this Women’s Health Week?
Prof Long: It goes back to what I’ve said before: A tan is skin cells in trauma. The good news is you can change your risk of skin cancer today, whether you’re 18 or 65. The minute you stop exposing your beautiful big organ – your skin – to too much sun, that will change your risk and have a good effect.
Professor Georgina Long AO is Co-Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) and a pioneer in the field of melanoma treatment. Earlier this year, she and her colleague Professor Richard Scolyer AO were named 2024 Australians of the Year. For more information about melanoma, head to MIA.
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Interview by Kate Cross. Images by Tam Bower.
Published September 2024
This article is designed to be informative and educational. It is not intended to provide specific medical advice or replace advice from your medical practitioner.
Jean Hailes for Women’s Health gratefully acknowledges the support of the Australian Government.
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