“Tanfluencers” on TikTok and Instagram are encouraging “tanmaxxing” via suntanning longer, using tanning beds and accelerators and even foregoing sunscreen to maximize the amount, depth and darkness of tans. (Photo: Getty)
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You could call this “sun” kind of a “dark” trend. After years of dermatologists warning about the risks of getting too much unprotected sun and ultraviolet light exposure, the “tanmaxxing” trend on social media is going the opposite direction.
It’s pushing people to get more and darker tans. On TikTok, Instragram and other social media platforms, so-called “tanfluencers” are encouraging people to stay in the sun longer, use tanning beds, apply tanning accelerators, choose higher UV index days to lay outside and even forego the use of sunscreen to get darker and darker. Yes, practically all things that people with, you know, real medical knowledge have warned against. The concern then is whether this new “maxxing” trend is going to eventually lead to “sun” kind of other maxxing—namely “skin damage maxxing”, “skin cancer-maxxing” and other problem maxxing.
Tanmaxxing Is Yet Another Maxxing Trend
If you haven’t yet figured it out, tanmaxxing is a portmanteau of the word “tan” and the “maxxing,” with “maxxing” standing for maximizing something. In this case, its about maximizing how tan you are. The “maxxing” suffix itself has been used kind of to the max on social media with trends like “fibermaxxing”, “looksmaxxing” and the don’t-do-this-because-it’s-your-genitals “ballmaxxing.”
So why oh why are these tanfluecers telling you to get as tan as possible? Well, surprise, surprise, it’s all about the looks. Yes, people can actually be superficial on social media. These tanfluencers are making a very deep tan out to be a “physique upgrade.” Their argument is that being more tan makes your muscles stand out more, your skin appear more even and your body seem leaner. Yeah, that’s kind of what happens when you put a chicken on a rotisserie as well. This tanfluencer talk has been increasing as we into the summer months.
Tanmaxxing Should Be A Reminder Of What Tanning Really Represents
While following some maxxing trends like fibermaxxing don’t bring a whole lot of risk—except for maybe farting excessively on dates—that’s certainly not the case with tanmaxxing. It’s important to remember what tanning really is. It’s not like putting on make up or neon loungewear. Rather it’s a sign that your skin is in a dangerous situation.
When your skin senses that damage from UV radiation may be occurring, cells within the outer layer of your skin called melanocytes can produce melanin in a protective response as seen here:
The mechanism by which ultraviolet ray exposure leads to tanning. (Illustration: Getty)
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Melanin is a pigment that can help block harmful radiation from further damaging your skin. This melanin is not foolproof in protecting your skin, though. Moreover, you can’t grow more melanocytes and there’s is a limit to how much melanin each melanocyte can produce. So, DNA damage could continue to occur despite the tan.
Therefore, consider tanning to be a bit like seeing the police or the army assemble in the streets around you. Your reaction wouldn’t be like “Nothing to see here.” Instead, it should be a warning because there’s more going on that meets the eye.
Tanmaxxing Brings Numerous Risks
Damage to the skin from UV light exposure is not like damage to your distressed jeans. The damage can lead to further problems and be irreparable. Over time this can lead to things that you presumably don’t want to maximize like sunspots, thinning of the skin and wrinkles.
The biggest concern, though, is the big “C”—that is, raising the risk of cancer. Cumulative UV radiation exposure over time can push up your risk of the two most common types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. More intense UV exposure like the kind that can cause sunburns is associated with the deadliest form of skin cancer: melanoma. There’s also Merkel cell carcinoma, which is rather rare but tends to be very aggressive and is linked to UV exposure.
You can take it on the lip as well. UV light can be a trigger for cold sores if you like about two-thirds of the population already carry the herpes simplex virus type 1. Over the longer term, UV radiation exposure can make your Angelina Jolie lips look more like “seem all hole-eee” lips that are dry and prematurely aged, The damage can lead to a precancerous condition known as actinic or solar chelitis, where your lips get discolored and sandpapery. And spoiler alert, sandpaper lips don’t make for good kissing. Ultimately, UV damage to the lips can result in cancer like squamous cell carcinoma of the lip.
The eyes can have it, too, meaning the risk of being damaged by too much UV light exposure. You can actually suffer sunburn to the front of your eye, known photokeratitis, affecting your cornea and conjunctiva. This both sounds painful and is painful. UV exposure can accelerate cataract development as well which can lead to impaired vision. Speaking of vision problems, UV exposure might contribute to the development of age-related macular degeneration or AMD.
UV exposure can also lead to different growths in different parts of the eye. Some of these are benign like pterygium, which may sound like you have some kind of dinosaur in your eye but instead is a fleshy growth on the white of your eye that can end up distorting your vision. Others are malignant like an ocular melanoma.
Tanmaxxing Is Different From Moderate Sun Exposure
Now, warning against tanmaxxing doesn’t mean that you should move to some sunless place like Mordor from Lord of the Rings. Getting moderate sun exposure is important as it can trigger your body to produce vitamin D to maintain your bones, serotonin to enhance your mood and other substances that can help with your sleep, immune system and other bodily functions. Moderate sun exposure means about five to 30 minutes of unprotected sun exposure for no more than a few days a week. If you are going to out in the sun for longer duration, wearing sunscreen with a sun protection factor or SPF of 15 or higher can help guard against sun damage.
The bottom line—meaning the most important thing to consider and not what you may see when tanning your butt in swimsuit—is that the years of warnings from dermatologists should not be overlooked just because a bunch of tanfluencers are saying something different. There’s a lot of dark stuff out there on social media, and science is needed to shine some sunlight on it.