Marco Crisciotti The viral #tanlinechallenge is glorifying sunburns for views, putting young people at risk. Experts are sounding the alarm — but is anyone listening?
Summer 2025 and the scorched skin trend no one asked for
You’re scrolling through TikTok in the thick of summer 2025, and suddenly your screen is filled with girls proudly showing off their burned red-and-white shoulders, striped like reverse zebras. The comments section? A cascade of hearts and “you look amazing” — mixed in with a few concerned voices: “Guys, you’re destroying your skin.”
The bronzed are back
It’s called the #tanlinechallenge, and it’s all about achieving an extreme tan — the kind that leaves dramatic marks where the swimsuit used to be. The trend originated in Australia, swept across the United States, and is now surging into Europe like a rogue wave. The numbers are jaw-dropping: over 200 million views for the hashtag #sunburnttanlines. On Instagram, #suntan is nearing a million.
@laura.henshaw The #sunburnttanlines hashtag now has over 200m on Tiktok so we are back for another car chat. The scariest thing is the core group of people sharing pro tanning content are younger people and the stats around sun burn we are young and developing melanoma later in life are really scary. Dermatologists agree that the critical window for skin cancer prevention is age 0-20. 86% of melanomas are attributed to overexposure to UVA and UVB rays and 80% of skin damage caused by the sun occurs before the age of 18. That’s why sun-safe behaviour in childhood and adolescence is essential for safeguarding future health, even decades down the line (info is from the @La Roche-Posay website -page is called: Sunscreen and skin cancer prevention: everything you need to know)*. The more we can spread the message about sun safety and move away from the glamorisation of sun tanning – the more impact we can make -so if you know any young people in your life who would benefit from this message please send this to them ❤️. #sponsored #suncare #saveyourskin #LaRochePosay *https://www.laroche-posay.com.au/blog/sunscreen-and-skin-cancer-prevention-everything-you-need-to-know.html
Scroll after scroll, the same formula unfolds. Teenagers — mostly girls, but not only — pulling down their swimsuit straps to show off sharp tan lines. The higher the contrast, the more the likes pile up.
@ladycarolinewiley tanline season is backkkk
One British girl jokes into the camera, “My face is so burnt I probably have skin cancer”. Seventy thousand views. An Australian influencer confesses to her 300,000 viewers, “I have an obsession with tan lines.”
Experts speak — but no one’s listening
Jay Allen, CEO of the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation, isn’t amused. “This TikTok tanning challenge is insane,” he warns. “If only they knew the damage they’re doing to themselves.”
Mark Nevin from the Cancer Council echoes the concern. He says many young people now treat tan lines as trophies — trading advice on how to burn more effectively, how to get more “defined” results. The truth? Just 15 minutes of sun exposure is enough to begin damaging your skin. That’s it. And with every sunburn, your risk of developing skin cancer increases. But this kind of truth struggles to cut through the noise of viral content and aesthetic obsessions.
When apps fuel the fire
Making things worse are the apps that promise the “perfect tan.” Using artificial intelligence, they analyze a photo of your skin and tell you exactly how long you can sunbathe.
“Today you can be in the sun for 23 minutes.”
“With this weather, go for 35.”
It sounds scientific. It’s not. It’s a ticking time bomb disguised as a beauty tip.
Experts are crystal clear: there’s no such thing as a safe suntan. SPF 50+ is non-negotiable, and midday sun should be off-limits. But when a trending challenge dangles the promise of virality, who’s paying attention to sunscreen recommendations?
@dietcokeprincess444 My face is so burnt rn I probs have skin cancer #tanlines #tanning #sunburn #utah #fyp #relatable #applewatchtanline #pale #foryoupage #followme
The digital cost of vanity
Keep scrolling, and you’ll likely stumble upon another clip — a girl with a back that’s nearly blistered. The comments cheer her on: “That tan is fire!” “Please drop a tutorial!”
No one mentions the long-term consequences: the premature wrinkles, the dark spots that will creep in ten years from now, or the melanoma that may grow silently beneath the skin. On social media, sunburn becomes a flex. Swimsuit lines are status symbols, and those without them feel left out.
This has to stop
Like any reckless online trend, the only way to fight this one is through education. Teenagers — and adults, frankly — need to understand that skin has memory. Every sunburn leaves a permanent mark, even if it’s invisible for now.
Social platforms could help. They could throttle the visibility of the most dangerous content — like they do with misinformation, violence, or eating disorder-related posts. But let’s not kid ourselves: views mean money, and business often comes before safety.
That leaves us with personal responsibility. So the next time you see someone flaunting their #tanlinechallenge, take a second. Ask yourself: is this really worth risking your health?
Because trends fade. Tan lines disappear. But skin damage sticks around.
