Teen’s 20-minute-a-day sun-bed habit sparks blackface claims

Taylor Humphrey says that being tanned is the most important part of her look and she spends 20 minutes on her sun-bed every day.

Taylor, 18, from Suffolk in the UK, says that after her first experience using a sun-bed she knew she couldn’t be without one and asked her parents to buy one for her.

Taylor now goes on her own personal sun-bed daily and admits that she would feel depressed if she wasn’t able to top up her tan.

However, the teen has received backlash from online trolls who have accused her of blackfishing because of her dark tan.

“I first went on a sun-bed as soon as I was legally allowed to when I was 18,” Taylor said.

“I fell in love with it straight away because I have olive skin and could see great results, so I asked my parents if they would buy one for me and they agreed.

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“I was so happy. When I first got it I started off doing eight minutes at a time and built it up over a few months.

“I am now on my sun-bed every day for 20 minutes. I would probably do more, but I will stick with 20 because that is the maximum recommended amount.

“If I don’t have a tan or go on my sun-bed for one day I just don’t feel myself at all.”

UK health system the NHS warns against using sun-beds due to ultraviolet (UV) rays that increase your risk of developing skin cancer.

“Many sun-beds give out greater doses of UV rays than the midday tropical sun,” the NHS website states.

“People who are frequently exposed to UV rays before the age of 25 are at greater risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

“Sun-beds, sun lamps and tanning booths give out the same type of harmful radiation as sunlight.”

Taylor admits that going on her sun-bed is what she looks forward to doing most every day.

“If I didn’t have a tan then I just wouldn’t leave my house,” she says.

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Accused of blackfishing

Taylor says she has been slammed online with people messaging her saying she was trying to be of a different race.

“I have received some stick for my tan but it’s not like I am using fake tan. I can’t help it if my skin goes this tanned,” she says.

“Someone had even posted a TikTok about me and my tan saying that I was doing blackfishing.

“But I just took it as a compliment that they took the time to do that about me.

“Some people even wanted me to delete my social media.”

“I just try to ignore people when they say stuff like this about me and don’t retaliate,” she continued.

“I just like having a tan. It is one of the most important things to me and makes me feel the most confidence,” she says.

“I know there are risks that come with going on sun-beds but it is like that with everything. “There is a risk that smoking and drinking can cause cancer too and people still do that.

“Having a tan makes me feel better within myself. I wouldn’t be the same person without my tan.

“My confidence is at its highest when I am tanned. I have even been offered modelling contracts in London which I was so happy about.

“I’d love to get back into doing something like that.

“I couldn’t imagine my life without a sun-bed.

“I would describe myself as being over the top and very glamorous, so having a tan is essential for me.”

Sun-beds ‘as dangerous as smoking’

In Australia, solariums have been banned since 2015, but privately owning a sun bed is not.

The move spawned a black market for sun tans with solarium owners operating illegally out of private rooms and backyards since the deadly tanning beds were banned for commercial use.

In the UK, solariums are still allowed to operate, but criticism is high. In 2019, Tory MP Pauline Latham branded sun beds “killing machines”.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), sun-beds are as dangerous as smoking.

“Like the sun, they give out harmful UV rays, that damage the DNA in your skin cells – which over time, can lead to malignant melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer,” WHO’s website reads.