For decades, sunbeds have occupied an uneasy place within the beauty industry—marketed as a route to confidence and a bronzed glow, even as they carry well-documented links to skin cancer. Combined analysis of over 20 epidemiological studies shows that the risk of melanoma is increased by 75% when the use of tanning devices starts before age 30, according to the World Health Organization’s International Agency Research for Cancer (IARC).
More than 20,000 people are now diagnosed with melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, in the UK each year. At the same time, around 86% of cases are considered preventable through reducing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and sunbeds.
Following the publication of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE)’s latest review of artificial tanning devices, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing is calling for sweeping reforms that extend far beyond salon rules. The reports mark one of the strongest political pushes yet to reposition UV exposure as a preventable public health issue rather than a personal lifestyle choice.
At the center of the debate is a striking contradiction. While commercial sunbeds remain legal across the UK, investigations continue to find widespread failures to enforce existing legislation, including inadequate age verification, poor monitoring of skin type, and insufficient oversight of session frequency.
For Carolyn Harris, Member of Parliament (MP), Chair of the APPG for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing, the issue has moved beyond regulation. "The facts speak for themselves, with overwhelming medical evidence concluding that UV radiation from sunbeds causes skin cancer," Harris told BeautyMatter. "What is perhaps the most frightening statistic is that 48% of sunbed users are aged 18-34, and research has found that using a sunbed before the age of 35 increases a person's risk of skin cancer by 59%—this is a health emergency that we can—and we must—prevent."
The APPG’s year-long inquiry, A Preventable Crisis: The Case for a National UV Safety Strategy, argues that Britain’s current approach to sun safety is fragmented. Instead of relying on seasonal awareness campaigns, MPs are calling for a coordinated national strategy spanning healthcare, education, retail, and workplace protection and regulation.
Among its recommendations are:
Victoria Brownlie, Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Chief Policy & Sustainability Officer at the British Beauty Council, believes that regulation must go beyond the government’s current consultation. "While we welcome proposals for mandatory ID checks and banning unsupervised sessions, regulation must go further," Brownlie told BeautyMatter. "The Council is calling for a complete ban on sunbed advertising, strict nationwide licensing for all commercial operators, and tobacco-style graphic health warnings at the point of use."
The inquiry presents a stark picture of the UK’s growing skin cancer burden:
The APPG wants sunbeds to be regulated like tobacco. That means banning advertising, introducing graphic health warnings, and cracking down on misleading health claims, including marketing that promotes sunbeds for vitamin D or broader wellness benefits.
COMARE reached similar conclusions, warning that operators continue to make unsubstantiated medical claims while recommending nationwide licensing. The committee has also asked the government to consider whether England should eventually follow countries like Australia and Brazil in introducing a commercial ban on sunbeds altogether.
While the UK is moving toward tighter regulation of commercial sunbeds, the conversation in the US has taken a different path. Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, withdrew a proposed rule that would have banned minors from using sunbeds. Kennedy has shown his personal support for tanning beds since taking office, spotted leaving a tanning bed salon in Washington DC, with Secret Service in tow.
Rather than pursuing a unified national strategy, regulation remains largely state led, creating a patchwork of restrictions that vary across the country. Many states prohibit indoor tanning for minors under 18, while others have set different age limits or require parental consent, leaving enforcement inconsistent nationwide.
Skin cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, and public health organizations continue to warn against indoor tanning. The contrast highlights two distinct approaches to the same issue: While the UK is considering stronger regulation to curb access to artificial UV exposure, the US has largely focused on consumer education, state-level legislation, and accelerating innovation in sun protection. The two markets illustrate a broader shift in beauty, from promoting the pursuit of a tan to encouraging long-term skin health.
For beauty businesses, the debate extends well beyond tanning salons. The proposals could reshape how retailers merchandise SPF, how brands communicate sun protection, and how the industry balances aspiration with public health.
The APPG is also calling for sunscreen to be treated as a preventative healthcare product rather than a luxury cosmetic, including reducing VAT on children’s SPF to zero and on adult sunscreen to 5%. The recommendations come as the sunscreen category undergoes its own transformation. Premium SPF is increasingly positioned as year-round skincare rather than seasonal holiday protection, while brands continue to invest in education about daily UV exposure.
Momentum for tighter regulation is building beyond parliament. Alongside the APPG’s recommendations, the UK government has launched a 12-week consultation on strengthening commercial sunbed regulations as part of its forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England.
The consultation runs until August 14, 2026, with the new regulations potentially coming into force as early as 2027.
The consultation is being framed as only the first step. The government has confirmed it will launch a further call for evidence in fall 2026 to examine whether even stronger restrictions are needed, including additional regulatory measures beyond those currently proposed. The policy direction reflects growing concern over skin cancer rates in the UK. According to government figures, there were almost 250,000 new skin cancer diagnoses in 2023, costing the NHS an estimated £750 million ($1.005 billion) annually. Strengthening sunbed regulation has therefore become part of the government’s wider National Cancer Plan for England, which aims to improve cancer prevention alongside earlier diagnosis and treatment.