Lifestyle

Damage & déjà vu

Doctors Sound Alarm Over Viral ‘Tanmaxxing’ Craze

“It’s sun damage packaged as a beauty hack.”

Charlie SherwoodNewsdesk Assistant

PublishedJul 16, 2026, 6:09 PM EDT

UpdatedJul 16, 2026, 6:09 PM EDT

Updated Jul 16, 2026, 6:09 PM EDTPublished Jul 16, 2026, 6:09 PM EDT

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A growing social media craze known as “tanmaxxing” is causing concern among dermatologists, who fear that the trend is little more than intentional sun damage.

Tanmaxxing, a term riffing on the Gen-Z “looksmaxxing” trend, encourages users to chase the darkest tan possible through any means necessary: Spending excessive time in direct sunlight, tracking peak UV hours, and skipping sun protection.

In some cases, followers resort to lying in tanning beds, once considered a relic of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

While influencers portray the practice as the key to achieving a perfect summer glow, dermatologists warn against it.

“It’s sun damage packaged as a beauty hack,” Dr. Silvina Pugliese, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Health, told News 12.

Repeated ultraviolet exposure doesn’t just increase the risk of skin cancer, she said—it can also speed up premature aging, leading to wrinkles and other lasting cellular damage.

Doctors at NYU Langone report seeing more patients with unusually deep tans arriving for routine skin exams—a trend they believe may be linked to the growing popularity of so-called “tanmaxxing.”

Pugliese suggested that the long, freezing winter of 2025–2026 may have led more people to spend extended periods outdoors once temperatures finally warmed.

But while a golden glow from the sun may be trendy in 2026, the havoc it can wreak on your skin is forever.

Jessica Saggio, a Long Island nurse, told News 12 that she once embraced many of the same habits social media users are now promoting online: using tanning oil, spending hours by the pool or at the beach, and repositioning herself to maximize her sun exposure.

In nursing school, however, Saggio learned about the risks of UV damage and began to rethink the potential harm of such habits.

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Still, while spending hours in direct sunlight can be dangerous, you do not need to spend the summer indoors to protect yourself.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends applying a water-resistant sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection (SPF 30 or higher) about 15 minutes before heading outside and reapplying it every two hours.

The AAD also encourages limiting prolonged exposure during peak sunlight (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.) and avoiding tanning beds altogether.

Charlie SherwoodNewsdesk Assistant

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