Dangerous new trend of ‘sunburt art’ can kill, doctors warn

Dangerous new trend of ‘sunburt art’ can kill, doctors warn

The medical community is warning that using sunburns to decorate your body will create a huge increase in the risk of developing skin cancers.

An alarming new trend among young people is the use of strategically placed sunburns in order to create art on the body, an disturbing trend that could have deadly results, doctors say.

Lately, people have been applying suncream to their skin in artistic shapes, allowing the rest of the skin to burn in order to create temporary patterns that are referred to as “sunburn art,” according to an ABC News report.

However, dermatologists are warning that sunburn art can result in the development of skin cancer, not to mention prematurely aging the skin.

Sometimes, sunbathers will even put temporary tattoos on their skin to use them as an outline for the sunburn art. And the practice as a whole is making the medical community cringe.

Dr. Barney Kenet, a dermatologist based in New York, was quoted in the report as saying that popular culture “is clashing with medical advice,” and that sunburns either give you lines and wrinkles or, at worst, give you skin cancer like the deadly melanoma.

That’s not to say you can’t do the art, but just do it in a smart fashion: rather that go out and get burned, simply be out in the sun more often and gradually develop a good, deep, safe tan that will also make the sunburn art look cleaner as well.

In fact, getting burned increases your risk of melanoma than those who are gradually exposed to lower levels of sunlight. This is especially true to those with fair skin, who will be at a much higher risk despite have less visible skin damage from a burn.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people stay in the shade, wear long-sleeved shirts, and use broad spectrum SPF suntan lotion when out in the sun.

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