Sunbed group in hot seat over false claims that tanned skin protects against sunburn

The British Association of Dermatologists said: ‘There is no safe way to get a tan. Whether from the sun or a sunbed, a tan is a visible sign that your skin has been damaged by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which increases your risk of skin cancer.’ Photograph: LuckyBusiness/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The body that represents the UK’s sunbed salons is wrongly insisting that a tan protects against sunburn, even though leading medical bodies (contacted by Full Fact) say that claim is untrue.

Health organisations have challenged the accuracy of information being disseminated by the Sunbed Association, which on its website asks: “Is it true there is no such thing as a safe tan?”