For years, a tan was proof that a holiday had worked. You went away pale, came back brown and people noticed. In the eighties and nineties, that colour suggested health, travel, time outdoors and a summer properly spent.
My family was no different. My mother meant well. A deep tan looked healthy to her generation, so as a boy I chased one. At four-week scout camps and on holidays organised through my father's workplace, I would lie in the sun for hours, turning over to make the colour even. More than once, I made myself properly ill through sun and heat exposure.
I thought I was helping my skin look better. I was asking it to defend itself.
In my forties, working as a pharmacist independent prescriber in aesthetic medicine, I recognise some of the changes I discuss with patients because they are present in my own skin. I also look at family photographs differently. A photograph cannot separate genetics, health, lifestyle and UV exposure. What it can do is remind you how much our relationship with the sun has changed.
At fifteen, I would probably not have listened to a lecture about molecular damage. I might have listened if someone had told me this: the colour would disappear long before the biological consequences became visible.
This is the explanation I wish I had been given then.
01 / 04
The colour
What the skin has to do before a tan becomes visible.
A tan begins with damage
A tan is a protective response to ultraviolet exposure. It is not evidence of healthy skin.
UV can damage the DNA in skin cells. The skin responds by producing more melanin, the pigment that gives it colour and absorbs some UV. This offers limited protection against further injury. [20]
The important word is further. The colour appears because the skin has already detected a threat.
The World Health Organization puts the protection from an acquired tan at roughly SPF 2 to 4. That is too little to make further tanning safe. A tan can temporarily even out skin tone, soften the appearance of redness and make small marks less obvious. I understand why people like how it looks. Calling it a healthy tan is the problem. [20]
Cancer Research UK estimates that about 85 in every 100 melanoma cases in the UK are caused by too much ultraviolet exposure from the sun or sunbeds. That does not mean every hour outdoors is dangerous. It means intentional tanning and burning are not harmless cosmetic choices. [5]
Fashion changed. Biology did not.
The attraction to tanning is cultural as much as personal.
Go back far enough and pale, even skin suggested that someone could afford to stay out of the sun. Darker, weathered skin was associated with long hours of outdoor work. Then foreign holidays became accessible and bronzed skin began to signal leisure rather than labour. The phrase healthy tan entered ordinary language and stayed there.
By the eighties and nineties, a tan meant holidays, sport, money, freedom. You had been somewhere. Summer had happened properly.
UV can damage skin on a beach, in a garden or on a cool day in Brighton. The amount and mix of UV vary with the source and with barriers such as glass. [7] [12]
UVA and UVB: useful shorthand, incomplete biology
You will often hear that UVA ages and UVB burns. It is a useful memory aid. It is not the whole science.
UVB is the main cause of sunburn and an important driver of the tan that develops over the following days as the skin makes more melanin. UVA reaches further into the dermis (the deeper layer of the skin). It contributes to oxidative stress (when reactive molecules overwhelm cells’ protective defences) and activates enzymes involved in collagen breakdown and skin ageing. UVA can also darken pigment already present within minutes. That quick colour is not the same as producing new protective pigment, and UVA can also contribute to delayed tanning. [7] [20]
Both wavelengths can damage DNA. Both contribute to skin cancer. Both can age skin. [9]
Roughly 95% of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth's surface is UVA and about 5% is UVB. Those numbers describe the physical mixture of light, not a 95-to-5 split of harm. UVB is biologically potent in small amounts; UVA is abundant and penetrates more deeply. [7]
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ultraviolet radiation, including UVA and UVB, as carcinogenic to humans. [9]
The exposure you do not feel still counts
UV cannot be judged by temperature. Skin does not know whether the air feels warm, and cloud is not a reliable sunscreen.
Light or broken cloud may reduce UV only modestly and can sometimes scatter it. Thick overcast is different, but the practical answer is the same: check the UV index rather than looking at the sky. [7]
Shade helps, but its quality matters. On a summer day, a substantial part of our UV exposure comes from radiation scattered by the open sky. A beach umbrella alone offers much less protection than a building, dense woodland or properly covering clothing. [4]
Ordinary glass blocks almost all UVB. Laminated windscreens also block most UVA, but side and rear car windows vary considerably. In a study of 29 cars, side windows blocked an average of 71% of UVA, with results ranging from 44% to 96%. In a right-hand-drive car, the right side of your face and right forearm are nearer the side window; their exposure depends on where the sunlight falls. [12]
On Brighton seafront, a cool breeze can make it easy to underestimate the sun. Wind cools your skin without telling you how much UV is reaching it. Water, sea foam and light-coloured surfaces can reflect some UV back towards you, so exposure also comes from your surroundings. [7]
You can see the broader principle on your own body. Compare the inner upper arm with the back of the forearm. They are the same age. They have not lived the same UV history.
02 / 04
The delay
Why years can pass between the exposure and the evidence.
Why the damage appears later
Sunburn gives quick feedback. Photoageing does not. Repeated exposure changes collagen and elastin, affects blood vessels, makes pigment behaviour less predictable and increases skin-cancer risk. Those changes build quietly over years, then appear as though they arrived at once.
Over time, that can become fine lines, coarser or crêpey texture, reduced firmness, persistent uneven pigment, visible small blood vessels and lesions that need medical assessment. Holidays count. So do short walks, gardening, sport, driving and time beside a bright window. The point is not that each brief exposure creates a visible injury. It is that the skin records the pattern.
That delay changes how risk feels. A tan fades. The absence of an immediate consequence feels reassuring. Meanwhile, the biological effects may last much longer than the colour.
Exposure from today can still be reduced.
Skin tone changes the response, not the physics
Natural melanin provides meaningful protection. Fair skin may burn quickly; deeper skin tones may show little or no obvious redness. That difference matters, but it does not make one universal routine appropriate for everybody.
The British Association of Dermatologists recommends routine sun protection for people with white skin when the UV index is 3 or above, usually between April and September in the UK. For black and brown skin, its routine threshold is 11 or above. The UK maximum is usually around 7. That advice still calls for protection where a skin condition, increased skin-cancer risk or concern about pigmentation makes it necessary. [4]
Melasma causes patches of darker skin; post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the dark marking that can remain after inflammation or injury. These concerns, vitiligo, lupus, medicines that increase sun sensitivity, a weakened immune system and recent procedures can all change the advice. So can travel to stronger UV, snow or altitude. [4] [7] [14]
For many people with black or brown skin, the more immediate concern is not sunburn but pigment. Melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can be triggered or worsened by visible light as well as UV. In that situation, a tinted sunscreen containing iron oxides may offer something a clear UV-only sunscreen cannot. The label is often unhelpful, so look for an explicit visible-light or pigmentation claim rather than assuming every tint performs the same job. [13]
Advice should match your skin tone, medical history, medication, previous pigment response and actual exposure.
Sunbeds are still UV
A sunbed is not a controlled or safer form of sunlight. It is another source of ultraviolet radiation, often delivering a high UVA dose. UV-emitting tanning devices are classified as carcinogenic to humans. [9]
A systematic review by an IARC working group, published in 2007, combined seven studies of first sunbed use before age 35. It found a 75% higher melanoma risk compared with never using sunbeds (relative risk 1.75; 95% confidence interval 1.35–2.26). These were observational studies. This is a relative increase in risk; it does not mean that 75 out of every 100 users develop melanoma. [9]
Commercial sunbed businesses across the UK must not allow anyone under eighteen to use a sunbed. That age restriction is a legal minimum, not a statement that use becomes safe at eighteen. [10]
If the goal is colour, cosmetic self-tan is the more sensible route. DHA reacts with dead cells in the outermost layer of the skin; it does not create a UV tan. It also provides no meaningful sun protection, so your sunscreen decision is exactly the same as it would be without the colour. [16]
I would avoid tanning injections and nasal sprays sold as melanotan. NHS inform advises against both: their contents are uncertain and their long-term effects are not established. Injections containing melanotan are regulated as medicines and need authorisation to be sold legally. Nasal sprays without medicinal claims are treated differently under current UK guidance; that distinction is not an assurance of safety. [16] [18]
If you have already used one of these products, tell your GP about any side effects or new or changing skin marks, and mention what you used. [6] [16]
03 / 04
The decision
Protection has to work in a real day, not only on the label.
Protection has to work in a real day
You do not need specialist equipment to know when UV is likely to matter. Most weather apps include the UV index, and the Met Office app and website provide local forecasts for UK and worldwide locations — daily for the next seven days and hourly for the next two. Check the place and the time you will actually be outside.
The UV index forecasts conditions in an area. Your own exposure also depends on shade, reflection, altitude, time outdoors, clothing and your skin. Use it to plan when and how to protect yourself. [7] [8]
The UV index is more useful than the temperature. A cool Brighton day can still carry enough UV to matter. For people with white skin, UK guidance recommends sun protection when the UV index is 3 or above. Skin tone, health and the reason for protecting the skin can change that threshold. [4]
In practice, that means combining shade, clothing, a hat, well-fitting UV-protective sunglasses and sunscreen. Sunglasses labelled UV400 help protect the eyes and surrounding skin, which is easily missed when applying sunscreen. A UPF rating on clothing describes how much UV the fabric lets through; coverage still matters. [4] [21]
For exposed skin, the NHS advises at least SPF 30 with strong UVA protection. In the UK, look for a four- or five-star UVA rating, or the UVA symbol in a circle. If you will be outside long enough to risk burning, NHS advice is to apply it once around 30 minutes before going out and again just before exposure, then follow the product instructions. A thin cosmetic smear may not deliver the protection printed on the bottle. [3]
The two-finger rule means two lines of sunscreen along the index and middle fingers. It can be a rough guide for the face and neck. It is not a universal dose: face size, formulation and the area left exposed all vary. The aim is complete, even coverage rather than treating the gesture as a precise prescription. [17]
The SPF number mainly describes protection against UVB-related redness under test conditions. It does not tell the whole UVA story. I therefore check both the SPF and the UVA marking. The largest number on the front is only part of the label. [3]
Choosing SPF 50 instead of SPF 30 does not remove the need to reapply. The NHS advises reapplying at least every two hours outdoors and straight after swimming, sweating or towel-drying, even when a product is described as water resistant. Sunscreen also rubs away and is easily missed at the hairline, ears, neck and around the eyes. [3]
The best sunscreen is not the most expensive one. It is the one you can apply properly and live with. Texture, finish, tint and skin tolerance matter because they determine whether the bottle is used or left in a drawer.
SPF in moisturiser or foundation can contribute, but most people apply make-up much more thinly than sunscreen is tested. Powders, sticks and sprays can be useful for top-ups if they create sufficient, even coverage. A light pass does not automatically deliver the number printed on the pack. [4]
Daily SPF, and what that actually means in Britain
Sun advice often becomes either too casual or needlessly absolute. Year-round sunscreen is not a medical requirement for every person living in Britain. That does not make a daily facial routine wrong.
For someone managing melasma, post-inflammatory pigmentation, photosensitivity, immunosuppression, a higher skin-cancer risk, recent treatment or long periods beside strong window light, regular use may make clinical sense. Some people also find daily application easier to remember than checking the UV index.
The best-known trial of sunscreen and skin ageing followed 903 adults in subtropical Queensland for four and a half years. People assigned to daily broad-spectrum SPF 15+ were less likely to show increased skin ageing than those who used sunscreen at their own discretion. The researchers calculated 24% lower odds of this worsening. That is a comparison between groups, not a claim of 24% fewer wrinkles. It is useful evidence for regular protection in a high-UV setting. It is not evidence that SPF 50 in Brighton in February freezes skin in time. [1]
What changes for children?
Children need extra care in the sun. Keep babies under six months out of direct sunlight. For older children, use shade and covering clothing, with at least SPF 30 on exposed skin. Remember the ears, feet and backs of hands. Reapply regularly and after swimming or towel-drying. In the UK, take particular care between 11 am and 3 pm from March to October. [3]
04 / 04
The clinical boundary
Protection, medication and diagnosis have to be read together.
Medication changes the conversation
Skin does not meet UV in isolation. It reacts alongside whatever else is in your system.
Medicines that can increase sun sensitivity include doxycycline and other tetracyclines, isotretinoin and topical retinoids, voriconazole, methotrexate and azathioprine. This is not a complete list, and not every medicine in a class behaves alike. [14]
Hydrochlorothiazide has a specific MHRA warning. Longer use and a greater total amount taken are associated with an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. People taking it are advised to limit UV exposure and report new or changing lesions. [15]
Check the patient information leaflet or ask a pharmacist or prescriber if you are unsure. Never stop or alter a prescribed medicine because of a web page.
In clinic, I consider the skin, the medication list and the reason it may be reacting together. The plan has to fit all three.
After a peel, laser or microneedling
After a chemical peel, laser or microneedling, protection needs to fit the treatment and your recovery. Freshly treated or inflamed skin may be more reactive, and inflammation can trigger post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — particularly in deeper skin tones or in someone with a history of marking.
The right duration and level of protection depend on what was done, the depth of treatment, the condition being treated and how your skin is healing. Follow the aftercare from the clinician who treated you. In general, this is the time for shade, a hat and generous broad-spectrum sunscreen that the healing skin tolerates — not a beach holiday.
That is why I schedule my own deeper peel for late autumn, when UK UV has fallen and recovery is easier to manage.
When a mark is not cosmetic
Not every mark associated with sun exposure belongs in an aesthetic clinic.
Contact your GP if you notice any of these changes in a mole or skin mark:
- A new or unusual mark that persists, or a change in size, shape or colour.
- A mark that looks different from your other moles.
- Bleeding, crusting or oozing.
- Persistent redness or inflammation.
- A lasting change in sensation, including itching or pain.
- A sore or patch that does not heal.
These are reasons to arrange an assessment; they do not establish a diagnosis. [6] [19]
A diameter of 7 mm or more is one feature in the NICE checklist used by clinicians. Smaller lesions can also need assessment, so do not wait for a changing mark to reach that size. [19]
Lasering, peeling or otherwise treating an undiagnosed lesion can change its appearance, destroy tissue that may be needed for pathology and delay the correct diagnosis.
If I am not satisfied that a mark is appropriate for aesthetic treatment, I will not treat it. The medical question comes first.
What can improve, and what cannot be undone
Some visible effects of UV exposure can improve. Depending on the diagnosis, skin type and medical history, a plan may address selected pigment changes, rough texture or visible vessels. Different problems need different tools. Sometimes the right decision is observation or medical referral.
No aesthetic procedure deletes exposure from your history. It cannot remove every damaged cell, guarantee against future skin cancer or make continued tanning biologically neutral.
I did not write this to make anyone feel guilty about summers already spent. I spent mine chasing the exact thing I am now asking you to be careful with.
Earlier exposure is fixed; the next ten years are not.
A tan may fade within a fortnight. The changes that produced it can last much longer.
This article is general education, not individual medical advice. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine on the basis of anything written here. A new, changing or non-healing lesion requires appropriate medical assessment before cosmetic treatment is considered.
Transparency note: odNOVA stocks sunscreen. No product is named, linked or recommended in this article.
References
[1] Hughes, M.C.B., Williams, G.M., Baker, P. and Green, A.C. (2013) ‘Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial’, Annals of Internal Medicine, 158(11), pp. 781–790. PubMed ↗
[2] Kohl, E., Steinbauer, J., Landthaler, M. and Szeimies, R.-M. (2011) ‘Skin ageing’, Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 25(8), pp. 873–884. doi:10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03963.x ↗
[3] National Health Service (2026) Sunscreen and sun safety. NHS ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[4] British Association of Dermatologists (2025) Sun protection fact sheet. BAD Patient Hub ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[5] Cancer Research UK (2026) Melanoma skin cancer risks and causes. Cancer Research UK ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[6] National Health Service (2026) Symptoms of melanoma skin cancer. NHS ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[7] World Health Organization (2016) Radiation: ultraviolet (UV) radiation. WHO ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[8] Met Office (2026) UV and sun health. Met Office ↗ (accessed 3 September 2026).
[9] IARC Working Group (2007). The association of use of sunbeds with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancers: a systematic review. International Journal of Cancer. 120:1116–1122. doi:10.1002/ijc.22453. Read source ↗ (abstract checked 16 October 2026; seven-study age-at-first-use analysis).
[10] UK Government (2026) Sunbeds: safety advice. GOV.UK ↗ (accessed 3 September 2026).
[11] UK Government (2020) Vitamin D supplementation during winter. GOV.UK ↗; NHS adult and child advice ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[12] Boxer Wachler, B.S. (2016) ‘Assessment of levels of ultraviolet A light protection in automobile windshields and side windows’, JAMA Ophthalmology, 134(7), pp. 772–775. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.1139 ↗
[13] Castanedo-Cazares, J.P. et al. (2014) ‘Near-visible light and UV photoprotection in the treatment of melasma’, Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 30(1), pp. 35–42. PubMed ↗
[14] Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2026) Taking medication this summer: what you need to know about sun and heat exposure. GOV.UK ↗ (accessed 3 September 2026).
[15] Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2018) Hydrochlorothiazide: risk of non-melanoma skin cancer, particularly in long-term use. GOV.UK ↗ (accessed 3 September 2026).
[16] NHS inform (2026) Sunbed and tanning safety. NHS inform ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[17] Kaiser Permanente, Dermatology/Santa Rosa (2007) Sun protection: care instructions. Two-finger application guide. Patient leaflet ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[18] Department of Health and Social Care (2025) Melanotan: regulation of injections and nasal sprays. Parliamentary written answer, 1 December 2025. UK Parliament ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[19] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2015, updated 2025) Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (NG12), skin cancers. NICE ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[20] World Health Organization (2024) Radiation: the known health effects of ultraviolet radiation. WHO ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
[21] World Health Organization (2024) Radiation: protecting against skin cancer. WHO ↗ (checked 12 October 2026).
