We all know and love Brisbane for its warm, sunny climate and outdoor lifestyle, but what you might not know is that Queensland, including Brisbane, has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. About 1 in 20 Queenslanders are likely to be diagnosed with melanoma in their lifetime and roughly 2 in 3 Queenslanders will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer by the age of 70.
Skin cancer doctors are still seeing the effects of lack of public knowledge of sun safety prior to the early 1980s, with a higher proportion of older Australians having skin cancers removed and experiencing multiple skin cancers.
What is more worrying is that, despite this knowledge now, viral social media trends are prompting young people to achieve visible, often sunburnt, tan lines. These campaigns, active on social media as of 2025–2026 and driven by TikTok and Instagram, promote “#sunburnttanlines” as a “summer status symbol” and encourage intentional tanning in high-UV conditions.
These trends glorify skin damage, leading to significant risks of premature ageing and skin cancer. A tan is actually the body’s defence mechanism against UV radiation damage. It produces more pigment or “melanin” to darken the skin and avoid further radiation. There is no such thing as a “safe” or healthy base tan. A tan only offers a minimal Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of roughly 2 to 4, which is not enough to protect against long-term UV damage or cancer.
In order to avoid premature ageing (which may not manifest until the 30s or 40s) and dangerous skin cancers, experts emphasise that daily sun protection (Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide) is critical. Sunscreen should be a broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB coverage) water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 50 or 50+. Sun protection is required in Queensland all year round, even in winter, whenever the UV index is 3 or higher. Most people maintain adequate vitamin D levels just by spending a few minutes outdoors on most days of the week and in summer this should be before 10am or after 3pm.
So let’s all discourage young people from tanning and prevent a future surge in skin cancers in this group. A tan is not a signature of beauty but a sign of skin damage and nothing ages you faster!
Dr Kylie McMahon
