Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has withdrawn a proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that would have banned minors from using indoor tanning beds, a move that has dismayed dermatologists. The rule, first proposed in 2015, would have required anyone over 18 to sign a waiver acknowledging risks such as skin cancer, severe burns, and premature skin aging.
State-Level Bans Already in Place
Nearly a dozen states, including California, Illinois, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C., already prohibit tanning bed use for minors. Other states like Kentucky, Idaho, Indiana, and Michigan require parental or guardian written consent.
Dermatologists Express Deep Disappointment
“As a dermatologist, this decision is deeply disappointing and frankly dangerous,” said Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist and researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “This rule took many years to get traction, and now it’s been pulled. That’s not deregulation, that’s a step backwards for children’s health.”
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. Tanning beds emit up to 15 times more concentrated ultraviolet (UV) radiation than the midday sun, directly damaging skin cell DNA and triggering mutations that can lead to cancer.
Comparison to Youth Cigarette Sales
The Bulwark noted that the withdrawn proposal was similar to the FDA’s 1997 move to ban youth cigarette sales. UV radiation is a carcinogen in the same class as tobacco and asbestos.
“Walking that protection back at the federal level sends a confusing message, especially right now when melanoma is one of the most common cancers we see diagnosed in young adults aged 15 to 29,” said Danilo C. Del Campo, a dermatologist at Chicago Skin Clinic.
Kennedy’s Stance on Sunshine
The FDA’s notice, signed by Kennedy, stated that the withdrawal “does not mean that exposure to UV radiation does not cause skin cancer.” However, Kennedy, who has been seen frequenting tanning salons in Washington, D.C., has previously expressed a desire to end the government’s “aggressive suppression of sunshine.”
Rise of ‘Solar Callus’ Movement
Rossi noted that the ruling is especially alarming given the popularity of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, which promotes building a “solar callus” through gradual sun exposure instead of using sunscreen. On TikTok, MAHA advocates spread conspiracy theories that sunscreen causes cancer and is a pharmaceutical profit ploy.
A 2025 survey by the American Academy of Dermatology found that nearly 60% of Gen Zers believe tanning myths, including that a base tan prevents sunburn and that one needs to build “sun tolerance.”
Melanoma Risks for Young Adults
A 2025 study found that melanoma rates among tanning salon frequenters were more than double (5% vs. 2%) compared to non-users. Using tanning beds before age 20 increases melanoma risk by nearly 50%.
Dermatologists Debunk ‘Solar Callus’ Theory
Del Campo explained that while repeated UV exposure does cause melanin production, which offers minimal protection, a tan is actually a sign of skin injury. “Solar callus” is not a medical term but a marketing phrase popularized on social media.
Rossi added that a tan provides only SPF 3-4 protection, insufficient to prevent further burning. Tanning beds primarily emit UVA rays, which penetrate deeper and damage DNA in layers where melanomas originate.
“Lying in a tanning bed is the equivalent of sitting outside at the equator at high noon,” Rossi said. “The ‘base tan’ offers no protection against UVB burning, giving cancer risk without burn signals.”
Both dermatologists emphasized that enjoying the sun with sunscreen and vitamin D exposure is healthy, but manufacturing UV exposure through tanning beds is not. “We just want patients to be smart about prolonged or intense UV exposure,” Del Campo concluded.
