“Tanmaxxing” TikTok video becomes a hot topic this summer
This summer, creators have been posting videos of themselves optimizing their tans, and some are just trying to get as tanned as possible no matter what.
Gen Z grew up hearing warnings about skin cancer, tanning beds, and the importance of sunscreen.
But now some people are ignoring years of sun-kissed education.
It seems that the summer of “tan max” is approaching, and some young people are going to extreme lengths in pursuit of bronzed skin. TikTok’s For You page is full of young “tanfluencers” who use the app to track their UV index windows, log their sun exposure, and experiment with “tanning pills.”
Having a summer glow has long been a standard of American beauty, but experts worry the virus outbreak is setting back efforts to educate young people about the safety of tanning.
“It’s scary,” says Dr. Shereen Taymor, a board-certified dermatologist in New York state. “Essentially, tanning culture is being rebranded as the new Gen Z.”
What is “Tanmaxxing” and why do Gen Zers do it?
“A little burn goes a long way,” one creator captioned the video, with the text “Sun Max” playing over the trending audio. “Tanning Bed Hallelujah,” another TikToker posted, referencing Justin Bieber’s hit song of the same name.
Posting with the hashtag #TanTok, some are showing off their tan lines, sharing tanning bed preparation routines, and using tanning stickers reminiscent of the Y2K-era Playboy logo, hearts, and stars that were popular in the early 2000s.
For Ariel Sinisin, a 25-year-old New Jersey resident, a perfect summer day on the Jersey Shore always consisted of body surfing, smoothie bowls, and, of course, tanning. “Young girls wanting to try tanning beds without sunscreen could definitely become permanent,” she said of the trend in her post, but says it’s happening anyway.
“It’s really a cultural phenomenon that being tanned is the same as feeling beautiful,” Sinishin says.
The decline in indoor tanning in the mid-2010s was celebrated as a public health victory, but bed culture is now being revived among some young people, worrying millennials like Taymor, 34, who used to frequent tanning salons.
Despite the growing market for apparently safe in-studio and at-home spray tanning options, some young people think the affordability, convenience, and realistic-looking tan they get from sitting in the sun or tanning in a tanning bed are worth the risk. Self-tanners paint the top layer of your skin, which can look orange or streaky if applied incorrectly, while the ultraviolet rays of a tanning bed stimulate melanin production, just like the sun does.
Camren Fisher, 21, of southern Utah, is part of the trend and uses self-tanner in the winter, but prefers to spend time outdoors during the summer.
“We’ve gotten to the point where everyone is educated that, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t go to a tanning bed,’ but instead they’re sitting[outdoors]in UV 10 for hours without any protection,” Fisher says.
The World Health Organization classifies indoor tanning equipment and ultraviolet light as carcinogens. This means they can cause cancer. They belong to the same category as smoking, asbestos, and plutonium. And, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, at least 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.
Unless you get a spray tan, “there’s no such thing as a safe tan,” Taymor says.
In a recent survey on sunscreen habits conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology, 64% of Gen Z respondents said they had encountered misinformation about sunscreen online. This cohort was also the least aware of minimum SPF values, with 20% saying getting a tan was more important to them than preventing skin cancer.
The trend, which has also appeared under names like UV maxxing, carrot maxxing, bronzermaxing, and sunmaxxing, has its roots in the controversial “looksmaxxing” community and is associated with extreme measures to maximize physical attractiveness.
“Tanning is starting to be packaged like a beauty routine.”
Taymor says she’s concerned about the similarities in how content creators post about skin care routines and tanning hacks.
“Tanning is starting to be packaged almost like a beauty routine or a health routine rather than what it actually is,” says Taymor. “It’s literally your skin saying, ‘I’m damaged, please let me produce more pigment to protect myself.'”
Taymor said Gen Z is “probably the most educated” generation when it comes to using social media to learn about skin care, but he has seen misinformation spread online, including the debunked myth that a basic pre-vacation tan can prevent sun damage and that indoor tanning is safer than sunbathing.
Some tanfluencers buy products online that are not FDA-approved, such as Melanotan II tablets and nasal sprays, also known as “Barbie Peptides,” that claim to help with sunburn. Taymor says people should avoid it.
“People just look at these products online and think they’re just another health supplement and harmless,” Taymor says. “It’s really concerning and scary that people are using this product thinking it’s harmless.”
How to stay safe in the sun
- Limit exposure to direct sunlight: If the UV index is 3 or higher, avoid direct sunlight or wear sunscreen. “Many people think sun exposure only comes from spending time at the beach in the summer, but all the sun exposure you do in everyday life like walking the dog, commuting to work, running errands, etc. adds up over time,” Taymor says.
- Seek extensive protection. SPF30 or higher: Taymor says to choose a sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays.
- Reapply: “If you don’t reapply sunscreen every two hours, it’s as if you didn’t use sunscreen in the first place,” Taymor says.
- Find the sunscreen you actually use. “The best sunscreen isn’t the trendiest or most expensive one,” Taymor says. “It’s just the one you use most consistently.”
Rachel Hale’s role covering youth mental health for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Contact her at rhale@usatoday.com. @rachleighhale With X.
