Those Red Light Sunbeds You're Seeing Everywhere? Yeah, They're A Scam

Refinery29

a day ago

Welcome to Sun Blocked, Refinery29's global call to action to wake up to the serious dangers of tanning. No lectures or shaming, we promise. Instead, our goal is to arm you with the facts you need to protect your skin to the best of your ability, because there's no such thing as safe sun.
'They are much safer as the red light has the opposite effect of [UV], it protects your skin.'
I wince as I read this. I'm exchanging emails with 19-year-old Crisiant, who uses a red light tanning bed roughly every six weeks. Last year, she discovered that a tanning salon in her area had two of these beds, and she assumed they would be better for her skin.
These machines‚ also known as collagen-boosting sunbeds, combine ultraviolet (UV) light — which tans the skin — with tubes that emit red light. Even if you've never stepped inside one, you've probably seen red light before. From LED face masks to full-body treatments that immerse the skin in red light, these devices have become skincare staples, promising to boost collagen, reduce acne and heal skin.
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Collagen sunbeds make no logical sense at all. Sunbeds that deliver UV radiation are harmful and cause skin cancers, full stop. Cloaking them as something good for your skin health is totally disingenuous.
Dr Clare Kiely, consultant dermatologist
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Later, on the phone, it sounds like Crisiant is well aware of the dangers of regular sunbeds. She first tried one aged 18, but learning more about the risks put her off: 'If you [use] one now and then, I didn't think it'd be too bad, but I didn't want to do it consistently because I knew how dangerous they were,' she tells me.
To Crisiant, red light tanning beds felt different — a little safer: 'It still gives you a tan while doing your skin good,' she says. 'I went on it once and noticed [a difference] within the same day. I had a really bad breakout on my face and it sort of soothed and cleared my skin. It was really strange as sunbeds have never done that for me before.' It also made her feel more confident.
It's not hard to see why Crisiant thinks these machines are a safer, even beneficial alternative to regular tanning beds — and she's not the only one. But it highlights worrying misconceptions around red light sunbeds and their damage. Head to TikTok or Instagram, and you'll find countless videos posted by people who are convinced these beds can be used safely and that the risk of burning is lower.
But that's not true. Combining red light with UV in a sunbed counteracts any of the potential benefits. Consultant dermatologist Dr Clare Kiely, cofounder of The Skin Diary, puts it plainly: 'Collagen sunbeds make no logical sense at all.'
It is important to point out the differences between a red light-only bed and a sunbed that emits both UV and red light. 'Red light therapy without UV is a very different proposition,' confirms consultant dermatologist Dr Derrick Phillips. 'It is generally considered safe and may help with things like inflammation, wound healing and improving overall skin tone. However, the results do tend to be subtle and I always remind patients that it's not a quick fix.' Dr Beibei Du-Harpur, scientific engagement lead at The Skin Diary, agrees: 'More clinical evidence is needed to confirm the effectiveness [of red light] as a treatment for the skin, but there have been promising small studies from a skin ageing perspective.'
The bottom line? On its own, red light is low-risk. But its popularity in skincare has made some see red light sunbeds as a good thing.
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Not only does UV increase your risk of skin cancer, it breaks down collagen — the very thing red light is supposed to help boost — and speeds up the skin's ageing process. In other words, any benefits of red light are immediately cancelled out by the UV.
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Are red light sunbeds 'safer' to use than regular sunbeds?
The World Health Organisation has classed UV-emitting tanning devices as carcinogenic to humans since 2009. It doesn't matter if UV comes from a sunbed that also emits red light; it still causes damage to our DNA. Not only does UV increase your risk of skin cancer, it breaks down collagen — the very thing red light is supposed to help boost — and speeds up the skin's ageing process. In other words, any benefits of red light are immediately cancelled out by the UV.
Dr Kiely says that those who market machines combining UV with collagen-boosting red lights can't have a good understanding of how light affects our skin. Why? It just doesn't make sense: 'Sunbeds that deliver UV radiation are harmful and cause skin cancers, full stop,' she says. 'Cloaking them as something good for your skin health is totally disingenuous.'
Dr Phillips agrees and sees no evidence that combining red light with UV neutralises the harm. 'If anything, it gives a misleading impression of safety,' he says. 'These are still sunbeds emitting UV radiation, and they carry all the same risks as traditional tanning beds. From a dermatological perspective, they're just as concerning.'
Why do people still use sunbeds despite the dangers?
It's difficult to say how many of these red light and UV machines exist, but IBISWorld, a global industry research platform, reports that there were more than 28,000 tanning salons in the United States in 2024. In the UK, it's estimated that there are over 2,000. A quick Google reveals that plenty offer combined UV-red light beds.
The reasons why people use beds like these are complex. Bronzed skin remains a beauty ideal, and among younger people, sunbeds are still seen as trendy. Crisiant hints that this is partly why she first tried one: 'You see all the girls getting these sunbeds and a nice tan from it,' she says. 'I feel like sunbeds are that phase that doesn't end for a lot of people.'
Some credit sunbeds for boosting their mood. Others believe they help them get enough vitamin D — a proven myth. Another misconception is that they can help improve skin conditions like acne or eczema, but prolonged use of sunbeds can actually worsen these conditions and weaken the skin over time, making it more susceptible to infection.
Then there's the theory that using sunbeds occasionally or for short bursts makes it 'safer' — something I thought was true as a teenager. Because sun damage isn't always visible right away, it's easy to underestimate the harm. Even those who understand their risks struggle to stop using them, with some describing themselves as feeling 'addicted'.
The idea of sunbeds being most popular with young people is worrying, too. Melanoma Focus estimates that a third of UK 16 and 17-year-olds are using sunbeds illegally. 'I think people really should raise a bit more awareness about [the dangers],' Crisiant says.
If sunbeds are so dangerous, why aren't they banned?
While sunbeds remain so widely available, often without clearly displayed warnings, there is always a risk that members of the public may assume that they are somewhat safe, else they'd be banned. Refinery29's stance is clear: sunbeds should be banned, as they are in Iran, Brazil and Australia. Just one session before age 35 more than doubles your lifetime risk of melanoma, a skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body. Red light doesn't change that.
That's why many experts support a sunbed ban and agree that the growing trend for red light sunbeds is another reason it's needed: 'The messaging of these collagen-boosting sunbeds confuses those who may not understand the detrimental effects that sunbeds have on our skin,' says Dr Du-Harpur. She adds this is particularly dangerous given beauty standards around having a 'healthy' tan — a phrase that doesn't make any sense when a tan is our skin's damage response to UV. Marketing red light sunbeds as collagen-boosting, she adds, 'will encourage people to risk their health in the name of beauty and present an illusion that it may be safer or different to a conventional UV-focused sunbed.' She stresses, 'Sunbeds aren't safe — with or without red light therapy.'
When I ask Crisiant if anything might put her off using a red light tanning bed, she says it's like she has 'a devil and an angel on each shoulder.' She might change her mind one day, but she can't say she'll stop for now. Crisiant isn't against a sunbed ban, though: 'Even though I use them, if they were [banned] I don't think I'd be massively annoyed because I know that the government would be doing it for our benefit,' she says.
In June, the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group for Beauty & Wellbeing launched its UV Safety Inquiry, but little has changed since Refinery29 reported on what it would take for sunbeds to be banned entirely last May. Here, it's illegal for under-18s to use sunbeds, while only a handful of US states have a blanket ban. But if we're serious about tackling rising skin cancer rates, intervention is needed. At the very least, more regulation around any kind of sunbed use, or better yet, a total ban.