With statistics highlighting the dangers of sunbeds, why are so many Australians still dying for a tan? TheFeedSBS
Now 21, and a registered nurse on the palliative care ward of a major Sydney hospital, she's been using sunbeds regularly for four years, with no plans to stop.
The commercial use of sunbeds was banned across Australia from 1 January, 2015, with the exception of Western Australia, which followed a year later.Illegal solariums pop up on social media, and sunbed users say they are now a lot easier to find than when they were first banned. "Since I started using a sunbed...I look glowy, but it's also more than that... I feel better about myself and my body when I do it, " Stef said."And I've introduced heaps of my friends, who now love it too. I don't even think it should be illegal. We make a personal choice, nobody is forcing us into it.
Health experts are urging sunbed users to consider using temporary self-tanning products instead, emphasising that the dangers of sunbeds far outweigh their benefits. The UV radiation that people are getting will increase the likelihood that they’ll have to have things chopped out - be it melanoma or other types of skin cancer. It also causes aging.Some people chasing a solarium tan but without access to a sunbed, have turned to illegal underground solariums. A number of rogue sunbed owners operate covertly out of homes, backyards, and garages across Sydney.
“UV sun beds were banned as they carry significant health risks such as early-onset melanoma… Some rogue operators still try to sell tanning bed sessions, often using social media to hide their activity from authorities, ” the spokesperson said.Ben* labels himself a "recovered" solarium addict but has been hopping into sunbeds weekly since 2008.
"I think it's scary when you hear the statistics but I put it into perspective - I don't smoke, I barely drink, I regularly visit the gym and I take care of my health via a mindful lifestyle which includes homeopathic measures, frequent yoga and meditation, and a vegan diet with nutrient-rich foods.“So for half an hour a week, a sunbed is my little guilty pleasure and I really don't think it's as bad as sitting out in the sun for hours or doing other drastic things.
"Inner Sydney, there are a fair few to pick from and even more if you're willing to travel 20 minutes or so. If one doesn't have availability there are two or three others I'm in cahoots with so I just message them. I've never had any kind of issue getting a booking.” "...my appearance is pretty integral to my job and getting clients ... But also, just how I feel about myself," Ben says.
She described melanoma as an 'insidious disease' and explained that said she hoped her daughter's terminal diagnosis will be a lesson to those thinking of using risky tactics in order to get a tan.
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