New research by cancer specialists at The Devonshire Clinic analysed the latest search trends to reveal a big spike in popularity over the past 4 years.
In 2020, the term sunbed (and over 500 related keywords, such as sun beds near me and tanning beds) was searched an average of 8,510 times a month in Wales.
In 2024, this rocketed to 20,650 – that’s a 142.66% increase.
A deeper look reveals that Swansea saw a 216.85% increase – the second highest in Wales.
The big rise across the country has led to fears from cancer specialists at The Devonshire Clinic who say sunbeds can be dangerous.
Dermatologist Dr Conal Perrett said: “Sunbeds can pose a really significant health risk, and their growing popularity is really concerning.”
“14 years ago, I discussed research that found teenagers who use sunbeds are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
“The fact that now, almost a decade and a half later, sunbed popularity is actually rising is incredibly distressing.
“Using sunbeds can also increase skin aging, leading to premature wrinkles and skin damage, so while you may be happy with your looks right now, in the long run, all you’re doing is making things worse down the line.
“I really urge people to consider the health risks if they’re tempted to use a sunbed, it could just save their life.”
(Lead image: Miran Rijavec, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
