Getting that golden glow from the sun’s intense UV radiation has often been sold as part of living in Florida, but rising melanoma cases suggest that a tan and bikini lines come at a price.

Dr. Vanessa Riegert-Johnson, the chief medical officer and medical director at UNF Student Health Services, says that, because the university is located in the Sun Belt, where UV exposure is consistently higher, the clinic’s providers promote sun awareness and SPF protection.

Florida has the second-highest rate of new melanoma cases of any state in the country, according to the AIM at Melanoma Foundation. 

Nationally, melanoma is now the most common cancer among adults 25 to 29, according to the National Cancer Institute, with cases projected to climb as much as 10.6 percent in 2026 compared to last year, according to an American Cancer Society report cited by Allure. 

Sweatin’ in Duval

Roughly one in 10 Floridians have been told they have skin cancer, and 17 percent of people statewide reported a sunburn in the last year, a number that nearly doubles among adults 18 to 44, the age range that covers most of UNF’s undergraduate population.

According to Riegert-Johnson, the initial rise in melanoma was tied to tanning bed usage. She says now, medical providers have to take a look at recent trends and environmental factors.

“Looking at that younger trending age of melanoma, you can even think about it in the overall setting of younger people getting cancer. Is there some bigger environmental factor going on?” Riegert-Johnson said.

According to WillyWeather’s UV tracking, Duval County regularly sees high UV readings between March and October, peaking between 9 and 10 on clear days. The months of July and August average the highest levels of the year.

“Tanmaxxing” culture 

Online tanning culture has continued to raise concerns among medical professionals, primarily with its influence on younger audiences.

“Tanmaxxing” is a recent social media trend where users pursue an extremely bronzed look through tanning beds or unprotected sun exposure, often during peak UV hours, according to Sharp HealthCare. 

“It’s really concerning because the UV index is meant to be a warning system to tell people to increase their protective measures,” said Dr. Julia Carroll to CTV News. 

Instead, those who are “tanmaxxing” can track the UV on apps like SunMaxxing and UVMaxxing, which allow users to “track real-time UV levels, identify the optimal sun angle to start tanning, and provide custom burn countdown timers based on your skin type,” according to the Apple App Store.

“Tanmaxxing” has been described as a subset of the broader “looksmaxxing” trend, according to CTV News.

Much like “looksmaxxing,” which features harmful online advice like “Hitting your face with a hammer to become more attractive,” and “taking stimulants to lose weight fast,” “tanmaxxing” has been critiqued for promoting negative health advice.

“There is no such thing as a healthy tan,” says Mary Wu Chang, MD, associate professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at UConn Health. 

“A tan is actually a sign that the skin has been damaged by ultraviolet radiation. Every tan represents injury to the skin’s cells and increases the risk of premature aging and skin cancer over time,” said Chang.

Riegert-Johnson said that students will often follow trends, even when they “know and understand they shouldn’t.”

“I definitely think with these latest trends, like Love Island and tanning, and then all of the skincare regimens, they contradict each other,” Riegert-Johnson said. “Your skin is your largest organ, and it’s porous; it’s taking stuff in. The goal is to have healthy skin, and then you go out and tan, which kind of undoes all of your hard work.”

The golden glow of Love Island  

Tanning influence jumps from the FYP to people’s flat screens, with popular reality television shows like Love Island featuring tanning heavily in storylines, often serving as a backdrop for the Islanders’ “tense chats on the sun loungers or girl huddles by the pool,” according to Refinery 29.

The bronze tans of Love Island have caused debate among viewers and medical professionals since the show began airing in 2015, with past show contestants reporting cancer scares. 

These tanning trends are nothing new, according to Riegert-Johnson. She now bears the marks of past tanning sessions during the “baby oil days,” when people would cover themselves in baby or mineral oil to “bake” in the sun. 

Baby oil has no sun-protection power, according to Byrdie.

“Having grown up in Florida during the baby oil days, yes, I am just a ton of freckles now,” Riegert-Johnson said.

Riegert-Johnson said that in the long run, sun and skin protection is in everyone’s best interest.

“Being pale is boring, but you’ll get less wrinkles later, and you won’t need to see a dermatologist every six months,” Riegert-Johnson said.

Slather on that SPF

The clinic’s guidance has not changed even as trends do. Riegert-Johnson recommends:

Wear an SPF 30 or higher.
Reapply every one to two hours outside, or after swimming.
Use a wide-brimmed hat and sun-protective clothing.

“Clouds don’t cancel that out either. The UV rays go right through,” Riegert-Johnson said.

For those who still crave some sunkissed skin, Riegert-Johnson said that self-tanning products remain a safe alternative to those who “still want some color.”

“With the addition of SPF, of course,” Riegert-Johnson said.

When it comes to treating skin and sun damage, Riegert-Johnson said a changing or unusual spot, along with rashes, is one of the clinic’s most common dermatologic referrals, and catching it early matters. 

Students with other health questions can reach Student Health Services on the second floor of Building 39A or call 904-620-2900 to book an appointment or speak with the clinic’s 24/7 nurse advice line. 

Students can visit Student Health at no additional cost beyond the original health fee, which is factored into the university’s tuition.

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