An Australian woman has expressed concern about the “lackadaisical attitude of Brits towards tanning and sun damage”.
Charlotte Rose Hallett, who recently moved to London from Sydney, says she is shocked by the number of people using sunbeds who refuse to go outdoors without using sun protection.
“Obviously, you don’t see the sun as much here because there’s a functioning ozone layer, but that doesn’t mean the sun isn’t going to come for you,” he said in a Tik Tok shared this week.
The influencer added that her caution towards the sun is due to the fact that when she was a child, she was “scared a lot” by advertisements raising awareness about skin cancer.
She shared a snippet of a video campaign from Cancer Institute of New South Walesnicknamed The Dark Side of Tanning.
Charlotte Rose Hallett, who recently moved to London from Sydney, says she is shocked by the number of people using sunbeds and being denied the right to go outside without putting on sun protection.
One clip shows a man tanning on the beach, before beginning a disturbing narration: ‘A tan is skin cells sticking together to protect themselves from cancer.
‘But a melanoma just a millimetre deep can enter the bloodstream and spread.
‘So even if a melanoma is removed, the cancer can come back months or years later, often in the lung, liver or brain… and it hasn’t even started burning yet.’
“Imagine you’re eight years old and you’re going to see Bridge to Terabithia and you see one of these ads before the movie,” Charlotte told her viewers.
“It obviously put the fear of God in me as a kid, and it worked. And I thank the government for that, at least even for its use in the fight against aging.”
In a final appeal to Britons, she stressed that “there is nothing healthy about a tan.”
“You can still get vitamin D if you use SPF protection,” the content creator added.
“You can buy fake tan (which is all the rage these days) and some amazing sunscreens. Stay safe outdoors and if the UV temperature is above 3 on your weather app, put on sunscreen.”
The influencer added that her caution towards the sun is due to the fact that when she was a child, she was “really scared” by advertisements raising awareness about skin cancer.
Both Brits and Australians commented on Charlotte’s TikTok with their thoughts on the matter.
The Dark Side of Tanning campaign was developed by the Cancer Institute of New South Wales for the summer of 2007-2008.
It was then adopted by other organisations, including the Cancer Council, and implemented in other states and territories over the following years.
Both Brits and Aussies commented on Charlotte’s TikTok, with one user explaining: “It’s because we barely get any sun, okay?”
“We’re obsessed with tanning because we never see the sun,” another added.
“I think it’s so bad in the UK because it’s so rare to see the sun consistently and everyone goes crazy when it comes out,” a third agreed.
The Dark Side of Tanning campaign was developed by the Cancer Institute of New South Wales during the summer of 2007-2008 and then adopted by the Cancer Council and rolled out in other states and territories.
But other Australians were equally horrified, with one saying her housemate was going to a sun lounger.
“I almost died when I heard that!” he exclaimed.
Another added that the same problem exists across the pond.
“I was shocked when I saw an American influencer promoting a tanning oil,” she said. “In Australia they would be so embarrassed.”
“I went to a work rooftop party in the middle of summer on a sunny day in London when I lived there and as I was putting on sunscreen someone came up to me and said I must be Australian,” one recalled.
Earlier this year, dermatologist Madeleine O’Brienfrom Melbourne, shared the nostalgic commercial online that triggered memories for thousands of people.
Cancer Council Australia’s cancer control campaigns and communications manager Melody Chew told FEMAIL the campaign had a huge impact on young Australians, but there was still a long way to go and many prioritised vanity over skin health.
“(Cancer Council Australia) really nailed it with this campaign! It haunts me. Maybe a little too scary for 10-year-old me to watch, but hey, look at me now preaching about sun safety. It clearly worked,” Madeleine wrote in a TikTok clip.
Madeleine said the campaign “haunts” all Australians born before the 2000s. She called it her “Roman Empire”, meaning she still thinks about it regularly.
Melody said that because the ad was so “impactful” it was very successful in achieving a high level of recall.
“(The Cancer Council) carried out research at the end of last year with young people aged between 18 and 30 and we found that they were still quoting the line from that advert: ‘There is nothing healthy about a tan’,” she said.
“We also saw from that research that there is a very strong understanding among young people about the risk of skin cancer and how to protect themselves against this disease and we can thank that particular campaign for that.”
Melody said that while young people are very aware of the risks of tanning and sun exposure, there is a strong attitude towards ignoring advice for the sake of appearance.
“We need to focus on social media and in particular on influencers who target young people, aged 18 to 30, and who promote attitudes that are related to image,” she said.
Melody said the shock value of the 2007 ad ‘There’s nothing healthy about tanning’ isn’t as effective today with social media.
“They won’t work unless we can convince young people that tanning doesn’t make them look more beautiful, that their clothes don’t look better on them with a tan and that they can feel confident without a tan,” she said.
“That’s what the Cancer Council and the Australian Government have been working on, and it’s a long-term effort.”
The Cancer Council has partnered with over 60 influencers who have been promoting the benefits of staying out of the sun and avoiding tanning.
“They’ve been fantastic at driving conversations about tanning culture and making sun protection seem glamorous and aspirational. It’s really rewarding to see all the comments on their posts and the way people are starting to question them,” Melody said.
“I am hopeful that we can actually overcome this huge battle. Obviously, this cultural shift will not happen overnight, but we are seeing some very good early signs of success.”