Professor Caitriona Ryan, Consultant Dermatologist at the Institute of Dermatologists, appeared on Newstalk’s The Claire Byrne Show this morning to discuss the Department of Health’s proposed ban on sunbeds in Ireland.

Speaking alongside representatives for the sunbed industry, Professor Ryan set out the clinical evidence without ambiguity.

The science is settled on sunbed usage

Professor Ryan stated that there is “absolutely categorically no question” that sunbeds cause skin cancer, particularly melanoma. She was clear that this position is not based solely on World Health Organisation guidance, but on a large and well-established body of research.

Key statistics she cited:

• Using a sunbed just once increases the risk of melanoma by 60%

• Using a commercial tanning bed before the age of 35 increases melanoma risk by 75%

• The younger a person is, the more DNA damage they sustain per unit of UV exposure

• Using sunbeds is far more detrimental to cancer risk than exposure to natural sunlight

Professor Ryan also noted that people who use tanning beds typically do so repeatedly and systematically, compounding risk over time.

Melanoma is a cancer of young people

Professor Ryan described melanoma as a fatal type of skin cancer that disproportionately affects younger people. She regularly sees patients who are experiencing multiple melanomas after years of sunbed use in their youth, a pattern of damage that cannot be undone.

The case for a ban on sunbeds in Ireland

Professor Ryan expressed full support for a ban, noting that every dermatologist shares this position. She drew a parallel with the smoking ban, describing it as one of the best things this country ever did, and pointing to the significant reduction in smoking behaviours and the lasting impact on cancer rates that followed.

She also addressed the suggestion that staff in tanning salons can screen customers for skin changes. Professor Ryan was direct: beauty therapists are not trained to identify signs of skin cancer and are not medical doctors. The responsibility cannot rest with tanning salon staff.

Her final word on the subject was unambiguous: the only safe tan is a fake tan.

Thank you to Claire Byrne and the team at Newstalk for covering this important public health issue.

Read the Irish Public Health Report on the use of sunbeds in Ireland