APPG Inquiry: Why UV Safety Must Be Seen in the Round
With MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Beauty and Wellbeing turning their attention to UV safety this summer, much of the debate focused on the price of sunscreen. Lowering costs of protection is an important step, but The Sunbed Association (TSA) explained why the nation’s sun safety conversation must be about more than the price of bottles on a supermarket shelf.
For The Sunbed Association (TSA), which represents professional tanning salons across the UK and Ireland, the APPG inquiry provides an opportunity for a collegiate and balanced debate about UV risk. TSA believes it is time for policymakers to look at the evidence afresh and see responsible tanning providers for what they are - a part of the solution, not part of the problem.
“For our members, customer safety has always been the absolute number one priority,” Gary Lipman, Chairman of TSA, told us. “Salons operate under strict rules on maximum UV output, age restrictions, equipment maintenance, and staff training. Clients are assessed for skin type, exposure is timed, and protective eyewear is compulsory. You simply don’t get that level of safety control, care and protection lying on a beach.”
Public discussion around tanning often starts and ends with the risks of UV exposure, in particular over-exposure. Those risks are real and TSA has never shied away from acknowledging them. But the conversation too often frames sunbeds in the same category as uncontrolled, unprotected sunbathing - missing key differences between a regulated, professional environment and hours spent in direct sun.
Yet despite the robust safeguards that exist for UK salon users, the policy debate still often leans heavily on negative anecdotes and outdated perceptions, while ignoring evidence that responsible salons are compliant and professional.
For salon owners, the gap between perception and reality can be hugely frustrating. Milly Baker, who runs a family-owned salon in Ashby de la Zouch, says that stigmatising salons ignores the reality of what actually happens on a daily basis in her business.
“My customers trust us because they see the care we take,” she explains. “We check their skin type, we limit sessions, and we make sure they use eyewear. Many clients tell me they feel safer here than spending hours in the sun without such protection.”
Polling commissioned by TSA backs this up. Conducted by YouGov earlier this year, it found that 73% of UK adults believe sunbed use should remain a personal choice for adults. Among salon users themselves, confidence in existing safeguards is even higher: 72% say the rules keep them safe, compared to just 31% of non-users.
“This is not an industry crying out for deregulation,” says Lipman. “It’s an industry saying: regulate us properly, enforce the law, punish rogue operators, and allow responsible operators to do their job.”
Robust tools to ensure safety compliance are already in place. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 bans under-18 use in England and Wales, while Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have additional requirements on supervision and signage. UV output from professional sunbeds is capped under British and European standards at levels equivalent minute for minute to the Mediterranean midday sun. Staff training is available with TSA an accredited training provider of BS EN 16489.
However, TSA believes that the issue is often one of enforcement rather than policy, with a postcode lottery for both salon operators and users. Local authority resources are stretched, leading to differential approaches. The main winners from that patchwork approach are rogue operators who cut corners or ignore age restrictions. Lipman tells us that irresponsible operators tarnish the reputation of the whole sector and should be driven out of the industry.
“There is no excuse for any salon to break the law and allow underage use,” says Lipman. “But we need enforcement that matches the seriousness of the offence. The authorities already have powers to act - they should use them decisively.”
The impact of responsible salons also delivers wider public health benefits. They are often the first to notice unusual moles or skin changes, advising clients to seek medical advice. They reinforce sun safety messages in every consultation and they provide adults with a safe, supervised alternative to unregulated home devices or uncontrolled natural sun exposure.
“Our members are on the frontline of public education about UV,” says Lipman. “If we shut down responsible salons, people don’t stop tanning. They just do it elsewhere - and often in ways that are fundamentally less safe.”
Lipman’s point is echoed by Baker, “We know people want to tan. The question is whether they do it in a professional setting with guidance and limits, or in a way that puts them at greater risk. I’d rather know my clients are safe.”
The APPG’s focus on sunscreen affordability is welcome, but TSA argues that it must not define the entire conversation around UV protection. Sun safety requires a rounded approach - from better education to stronger enforcement, to recognition of the role responsible tanning salon providers can play.
TSA’s message is clear - sunbed salons are not the enemy of public health. They are allies in the fight against unsafe UV exposure. With fair enforcement and recognition of their role, professional salons can continue to raise standards, protect clients, and contribute to a healthier, more balanced public debate.
As Lipman puts it: “The question is not whether adults should be allowed to tan - it’s whether they can be supported do so safely. TSA members empirically prove every day that the answer is yes.”
