Heard of UV Index tanning? For those new to the idea, it is the latest skin tanning trend popular on TikTok. The dangerous fad encourages people to get the "perfect" tan by soaking up the sun when the ultraviolet (UV) index is high.

Much like many misleading TikTok trends, UV index tanning can deceive people into thinking it is a safer and easier way to achieve a good tan this summer. But here's the fact: there's no such thing as a safe tan.

"The increase in skin pigment, called melanin, which causes the tan color change in your skin is a sign of damage," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions.

To know more about the harmful health effects of UV index tanning, hear from Dr. Kendall Egan, a board-certified dermatologist in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Egan explains how tanning accelerates skin aging and increases the risk of skin cancer, highlighting why chasing that perfect tan could be more harmful than you think.

What does the UV index mean?

UV index suggests the intensity of ultraviolet exposure at a specific location, indicated as a number between 0 and 11. It is forecasted based on several factors such as latitude and altitude of the location, time of day, month, cloud coverage, and ozone layer compromise.

"A UV index of 0 represents darkness, and a UV index of 11 equates to severe UV radiation. A higher UV index doesn't necessarily mean summer and warm temperatures. High-altitude locations can have high UV indexes without extreme temperatures. For example, the UV index on the top of a mountain may be very high at midday despite being very cold," Dr. Egan told Medical Daily.

"A higher UV index means your skin will be exposed to higher levels of UV radiation increasing your risk of burning, premature aging, and skin cancer development," she said.

Health effects of tanning:

To understand the health effects of tanning, it is important to know the changes that occur in the body during sun exposure.

"Tanning is your body's way of trying to protect the DNA in your skin cells. Unfortunately, this attempt to create extra pigment from tanning doesn't really protect your DNA effectively. UV exposure and subsequent tanning increase your risk of DNA damage. Over time, this DNA damage may lead to skin cancer, including very serious and sometimes fatal skin cancers like squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma," Dr. Egan said.

UV radiation not only speeds up skin aging but also destroys collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles and sagging. Over time, tanning causes discoloration and skin spots, resulting in a speckled, wrinkled, sagging appearance.

According to Dr. Egan, any amount of UV radiation is harmful and the risk increases with the total time spent. "The longer you are exposed, even at low UV index locations, the higher your risk of developing age-related changes and skin cancer. It just happens faster and potentially more effectively and dangerously with higher UV index exposure."

Here's how to protect yourself:

To protect your skin from damage, make sure to apply sunscreen regularly and wear wide-brimmed hats, sun-protective clothing, and sunglasses. Always seek shade but be mindful of reflective surfaces that can increase UV exposure. Avoid the midday sun when the UV index is at its peak, advises Dr. Egan.

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