Emer O'Callaghan: Wake up to the dangers of sunbeds

I was stopped in traffic last week at the lights right beside a busy sunbed shop. Out came two women, maybe a mum and daughter, maybe friends.

Both had tanning accelerator products in their hands and both were well-tanned.

Well, the summer may be over, but the quest for so many now to hold onto their tans has many flocking to the sunbeds.

This is why September - along with May ahead of the summer - are peak months for sunbed use.

As a certified beauty doctor and skin specialist, it is scary to even see sunbed shops still around today when we now know they can cause cancer, yet here we are in 2025.

I’ve spent more than 25 years trying to get these dangerous tanning beds banned completely, along with many other active campaigners.

We all know that NO time on a sunbed is safe.

Australia and many other countries banned sunbeds years ago as they saw first hand how dangerous they were, but here we’re trying to get our government to listen to us, to ban them and save lives.

I did one of my popular beauty videos on sunbeds recently, and you can watch it on the Emerald Beauty Clinic Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages. The amount of people who messaged me to say they had no idea sunbeds were that dangerous...

Clients tell me all the time in my clinic how people of all ages that they work with are always going on sunbeds. They say it’s not just the young ones either, colleagues in work even in their fifties do it.

I truly believe from doing my job this long that education is the key; when you teach people, you empower them to know better so they can do better.

If you or someone you know or love uses sunbeds, I ask you to please read this article and take note of these facts, because what you think is harmless is most certainly not for many people. Just saying no sunbed use for under 18s is not enough.

We now have pictures and labels on cigarettes showing the damage they do to our health, why don’t we see more pictures up of what damage to our skin sunbeds do? That might register better with users.

This week, I wish to give you some scientifically proven facts on the effect to your skin and health that sunbeds cause. You can then decide yourself whether they are something you wish to continue doing.

KNOW THE STATS AND FACTS

The sunbeds of today are not the same as 20 years ago, these new beds are turbo-charged, hence why you tan so fast. You are baking your skin really, just like jacket potatoes you put in the oven.

Products sold in sunbed shops and online also for use on a sunbed are called tanning accelerants. There are also health warnings around some of these products.

Also, don’t go nude. Studies have shown eight out of ten females do so to avoid any tan lines, but this is complete madness. The delicate areas of your nipples and the skin of the vagina are very sensitive and not used to such exposure. The skin of the face, neck and hands is also thinner and will burn faster and tan fastest, but will show in premature ageing from sunbed use also.

Another big side-effect to sunbed use is that it dries out the skin, causing dehydration. Lines and wrinkles form faster.

My Product of the Week for this severe dry skin many have post- summer is my best-selling Guinot Hydrazone Body Balm, €59.

This will intensely nourish and protect very dry skin for 24 hours, while its advanced hydration ingredients will balance and restore the skin, leaving it super-soft. Available now from Emerald Beauty Clinic, postage options available.

MYTHS ON SUNBEDS

Many like to use a sunbed to get a base tan for a sun holiday so they don’t burn while abroad. Wrong. To not burn on a sun holiday you must be on a high SPF 50 and reapply it every two hours when outside - a base tan is not needed.

Some claim that a sunbed will help their psoriasis and eczema. What doctor advised that, I’d ask them, Doctor Dolittle? Doctors know the dangers of sunbed use.

HOME HIRE SUNBEDS

These are still popular, and the peak period is Easter, coming up to communion and wedding season. People like the idea of being able to tan at home and as often as they want. With no supervision, this can be a total free for all.

These hire-at-home sunbeds also need to go, and research shows the whole family go on these, some parents even let their children use them.

No! A child’s skin is like sponge and one bad sun burning of a child under 12 increases their risk of developing skin cancer in later life.

That’s a scary fact and exactly why no child should ever be left use a sunbed, not at home, not anywhere.

STOP NOW FOR YOUR HEALTH

So, what do you do if you have been using sunbeds frequently in the past few years and you didn’t know all of this?

Firstly, I’d recommend you get mole mapped to see have you any marks or moles. Look for any changes in moles or brown marks, changes in size, colour or texture. Show your GP any sun damage on your body, and get your bloods done yearly.

Take a break from the sun, don’t book another sun holiday this year, give your skin a break from all the exposure, and try and give your skin time to recover.

Also, embrace fake tan, we know it is safe. Scientists will tell you the only tan that’s safe is a false tan, so get into using those like the rest of us.

Many tinted body lotions also give a fabulous, safe, natural tan all over.

We skin specialists are forever saying the sun damage you do in your twenties shows in your forties, and the damage in the forties shows up in your sixties. I’m seeing a scary amount of sun-damaged skin around Cork post-summer.

However, the most ageing thing for skin is the sun. I think many will regret not taking better care of their skin in the sun in time.

• Emer O’Callaghan is a beauty doctor and skin specialist who won Irish Beauty Therapist of the year and works at Emerald Organic Beauty Products Ltd, trading as Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A Multi Award Winning Five Star Gold Standard Clinic, 2008-2025, www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie, follow on Facebook/instagram/TikTok now.
• SPECIAL OFFER: All next week, our Sun Damaged Skin Facial is reduced from €125 to €95, 90mins, includes a full skin analysis, complimentary eyebrow shape and samples. Appointments necessary, to book call Emerald Beauty Clinic on 021 4365949. Free parking.