Australian Gen Z influencers are leading TikTok’s ‘triangular tan lines’ trend, and Millennial beauty experts worry an entire generation has missed the skin cancer memo.
Stylish podcast hosts Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe and Anika Joshi-Smith said they hope baking in the sun will stop being a trend by 2025.
“There’s a very scary return to tanning culture that’s actually being led by Generation Z,” Maddison says in her first episode of the year. “Which is really alarming because I think this age group was not aware of the marketing and campaigns that we saw when we were teenagers.”
On TikTok and Instagram, influencers are showing off their deep tan lines and encouraging people to download UV index apps to maximize their “tanning routines.”
The hashtag #sunburnttanlines has more than 200 million views on TikTok.
Nearly half of Gen Z Australians said they deliberately use less or no sunscreen when “working on their tan” in a 2023 study by La Roche Posay.
Stylish podcast hosts Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe and Anika Joshi-Smith said they expect baking in the sun to be “gone” as an influential trend by 2025.
On TikTok and Instagram, influencers show off their deep tan lines and encourage people to download UV index apps to maximize their “tanning routines.”
The hashtag #sunburnttanlines has more than 200 million views on TikTok
Triangular tan lines, created by the shape of a halterneck bikini top, are being hailed by thousands of social media users, mostly young women, as “the ultimate summer accessory.”
In one video, a user says, “Sometimes a girl just gotta do what she gotta do to get a tan.”
A popular TikTok sound used in videos is the narration of: “Burn it.” Did I say stand there and look stupid? No, I said burn it.
“Half of Gen Z deliberately sit in the sun to tan and 37 percent of them consciously use less or no sunscreen when doing so, which is really worrying,” Maddison said.
The fashion and beauty podcaster believes part of the problem is that safety messages from the media don’t reach Gen Z Australians as easily.
Popular videos also encourage or show users to tan during high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, including clips titled “come and get a UV tan with me.”
They promote the UV index, a measure of the amount of UV rays reaching the Earth and their potential to damage the body, as a tanning tool.
Some users say that tanning at levels between 7 and 11 (high and extreme) provides the best results. Anything above level 3 means sun protection is required.
Popular videos also encourage or show users to tan during high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, including clips titled “come and get a UV tan with me.”
“The triangle bikini tan lines that are trending right now are sending me over,” Anika added.
‘It has become a status symbol when going on holiday or away from home.
‘But if cancer isn’t enough to scare you, if you’re a little vain, remember that sunscreen is the number one prevention of aging. It’s the best way to stay looking young!
Elegant co-host Joanna Fleming said that unlike Millennials, Gen Z “see girls who have really bad sunburns and say, ‘I really like that TikTok influencer,’ or ‘I resonate with that girl, and if she does, me.” I will do it too.”
While it’s easy to point fingers and blame young influencers for this trend, Maddison says she believes Australian brands should be the ones to draw the line.
‘Something I have a real problem with is that there are a lot of brands, specifically in the skincare space, that are still approving paid content with these influencers who are visibly burned and have tan lines.
“We shouldn’t approve that content.”
“I’ve seen a very large skincare and beauty brand approve content and I’ve seen ads run with an influencer who is visibly burned out.”
Style-ish podcast co-host Joanna Flemming says Generation Z is getting their beauty tips from TikTok and hasn’t been exposed to the type of melanoma TV ads that older generations saw.
“These brands need to do better because we can’t control what these people post on their social media,” he continued.
‘But when it comes to paid content, they shouldn’t be burned. It’s like smoking. Not glamorizing cigarettes is in the mandate. Why can’t not getting sunburned also be included?
Influencer Laura Henshaw also used the app in December to remind her younger peers that “there is no such thing as a healthy tan.”
Two thousand Australians die every year from skin cancer, Kic’s co-founder said.
“Just five blistering burns before the age of 20 can increase the risk of skin cancer by 80 percent,” Laura said.
‘Is a three- or four-week tan line really worth risking your life for?’
“I don’t think this would be a trend if people knew what they were really risking by achieving this tan line aesthetic.”