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The “Slip, Slop, Slap” slogan is likely one those of us who grew up in Australia are very familiar with, as is “no hat, no play”. But in adulthood, the rejection of sun safety is alarming – it becomes uncool to lather yourself in sunscreen or wear a hat. Instead, young adults in Australia are sporting a new accessory: tan lines.
Image sourced from The Cancer Council Australia, 1981.
The popular “Slip, Slop, Slap” campaign started in the 1980s, and is considered one of the most successful health campaigns in Australian history. It shifted attitudes toward sun protection and helped to reduce melanoma rates in younger age groups. But the last time the campaign was revived was in 2010, and the nation’s concern for skin cancer prevention is dwindling.
That’s not to say that the government isn’t trying – they’ve launched ‘Protect Your Skin’ and ‘No Tan Is Worth Dying For’ campaigns in recent years, but none have seemed to truly impact viewers. The level of emphasis that the government are placing on the dangers of the sun has decreased since the early 2000s, resulting in a shift in the mindset of today’s youth. Young adults are instead placing value upon the development of tan lines, a trend that has been apparent for decades in Australia, but has quickly grown in recent years, with social media largely to blame.
Bikini tan lines are the main focus, with young women even going so far as to wear bikinis during a spray tan, so as to imitate sun exposure. Digital presence encourages this social currency, as young Australian influencers show off their bronzed skin, with the lighter bikini markings apparent. Influencer Mikaela Testa recently called the phenomenon out, stating, “young, female Australian influencers are posting to their Stories using canola oil, not SPF, to bake in the sun to get that “perfect tan”, whilst telling viewers of the dangers of sun exposure and skin cancer. The Cancer Council has since launched their ‘End the Trend’ campaign this summer, targeting young people online.
Images sourced from @izzyarmitage and @eloisemumme on TikTok.
But it’s not just young women to point the finger at – research actually shows that less than a third (29%) of Australian men use sunscreen regularly. Additionally, the study from the Cancer Council shows that almost half (49%) of Australian men often or always spend time outside during peak UV hours throughout summer. Australian men, therefore, are the target of many of the latest government campaigns for sun safety, with one being specifically aimed at tradies.
Image by Mollie Matthews: A shirtless man at Burleigh Heads, QLD, sporting a harsh tan line.
And the problem is very close to home, with Queensland holding the title of ‘skin cancer capital of the world’. According to the Cancer Council, the rate of melanoma diagnosis in QLD (66) is more than double than that of NSW (32), WA (29) and SA (26 per 100,000 GP-patient encounters). Every year, more than four thousand people are diagnosed with melanoma in Queensland.
The most alarming statistic, however, is that more than two in every three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. In recent years, Australia-wide, melanoma rates have increased from 53 cases per 100,000 people in 2000 to an estimated 70 cases per 100,000 people in 2024.
Concerningly, a study released this month from the University of the Sunshine Coast shows that deaths from non-melanoma skin cancers have almost doubled in Australia since 2001. The actual extent of these cancer diagnoses is unknown, due to the high number of cases and the easy treatment at GP clinics. Dr Andrew Dettrick led the USC study, and said it reveals the ‘danger of underestimating the urgency of treating non-melanoma skin cancers’.
The subsided level of government warnings against sun exposure since the early 2000s, and the promotion of tan lines in today’s youth may be to blame for the increased skin cancer rates. It is proposed that due to these factors, the rates of skin cancer death will continue to rise. And, while these cancers may not develop for some time, it is highly likely that in 10 to 20 years, our generation will face a new epidemic of skin cancer deaths.
It’s important to remember that tanned skin is skin cells in trauma, regardless of whether you’re sunburnt or not. And, five or more sunburns can double your risk of developing melanoma skin cancer. So, don’t forget to ‘Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide’, and protect your skin from the harsh Australian sun.
Written by Mollie Matthews
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