"Sun-tattoo": Health Minister wants to "ban" this "dangerous" content on social networks

The Minister of Health and Access to Healthcare is sending out a "warning message." A guest on BFMTV, Yannick Neuder warned on Tuesday, July 29, against the effects of several social media trends calling for unprotected sun exposure in order to reveal tan lines—"sun tattoos," "burn lines," or "tan lines."

With the Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, Clara Chappaz, "we will contact the European authorities and the platforms to ban these dangerous messages," said Yannick Neuder, adding: "It's not easy, but it is possible."

Recalling that "85% of skin cancers are due to childhood exposure," the government member addressed "younger people" in particular: "I think our youngest don't realize that with this amplification of social networks, for a few seconds of buzz on social networks, they are destroying their cells for life," he emphasized.

Furthermore, the cardiologist reminded us of basic advice to follow during the summer to protect yourself from UV rays: "use cream with high SPF, SPF 50, and avoid exposure between midday and 4 p.m."

Exposure to UV rays is the main factor in skin cancer. Each year in France, between 141,200 and 243,500 skin cancers are diagnosed, including 112,960 to 194,800 caused by excessive UV exposure, according to Public Health France.

The social media trends discussed by Yannick Neuder are mostly promoted in English-language videos. They involve skipping sunscreen to achieve very defined tan lines, or encourage people to draw a pattern with sunscreen to create a lasting impression, similar to a temporary tattoo.