"Think twice" - Belfast dermatologist warns of the dangers of sunbeds this holiday season

As we enter peak holiday season, more people may be tempted to hit the sunbeds, to create a 'base tan' before their vacation.

With a rise in sunbed usage, Belfast has been labelled as the sunbed capital of the UK.

That is according to Melanoma Focus. The charity said Belfast is the ‘sunbed capital of the UK’ with 37% of adults in the city reporting using sunbeds.

A sunbed, also known as a tanning bed or solarium, is a piece of equipment that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation to induce a suntan.

However, a Belfast dermatologist is warning sunbed users of the damage they can cause.

Dr Bryan Murphy spoke to CoolFM/Downtown exclusively: "Sunbeds are an outright no in my opinion."

"It's not about the damage now, it's about the damage down the line. We in dermatology, plastic surgery, and skin cancer work are seeing more skin cancers coming through and in younger patients. Sunbeds have a part to play in that. So, if you want to have a tan, put artificial tanning on, use your sunscreen and think twice."

According to the Public Health Agency, over 4,000 people develop skin cancer each year in Northern Ireland.

Frances Dowds, Health and Wellbeing Improvement Manager at the Public Health Agency, said: “Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Northern Ireland and accounts for over 31% of all cancers diagnosed."

“People who have used a sunbed at least once at any stage in their life have a 20% higher risk of developing melanoma skin cancer, the most serious type of skin cancer, than people who have never used a sunbed. The risk of melanoma skin cancer is significantly increased when use of tanning devices starts before 35 years of age."

As well as a rise in sunbed usage, more tanning accelerator products have been on the market.

A tanning accelerator is a product, usually a lotion or cream, designed to speed up the natural tanning process of the skin. This can result in a faster and deeper tan with sun exposure. Some products can be sniffed, injected, or even taken by mouth.

Dr Bryan Murphy told us he has the same stance on these, as he does with sunbeds: "It's not a healthy process."

He said he often has consultations with patients who were not aware of the dangers, until it is too late, and they have developed a form of skin cancer: "I don't think it's easy on anyone. That feeling of why did I do that, or can I undo the past? I never try to focus my consultation with making someone feel bad about what they've done. You can’t undo the past, and we have all had bad habits for various reasons. It's about emphasising that you shouldn't do that anymore."

He went on to warn people about alarming symptoms: "Those signs that are worrying are a painful lump, or a bleeding lesion that isn't healing or something that looks not typical. We would refer to that as the 'ugly duckling'."

"If in doubt, always get it checked out."

Sunbeds are now illegal in Australia, and Dr Bryan Murphy says there is a 'real want' for them to be made illegal in Northern Ireland within the medical world: "I would be fully supportive in striving towards a ban on sunbeds."