Tanmaxxing Is Back and Dermatologists Are Horrified: The Gen Z Skin Cancer Wave

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Tanmaxxing is the latest Gen Z viral trend, and dermatologists are already seeing the results. Dr. Mary Alice Mina is joined by board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon Dr. Whitney Hovenic from Reno, Nevada, co-founder of the Gen Z sunscreen brand SPOOGE. They talk about why skin cancer patients in their 20s and early 30s are now an everyday sight in clinic, and why the base tan is a myth (it gives you roughly SPF 2 to 4). They also explain how one blistering sunburn doubles your melanoma risk and why tanning beds are making a comeback near college campuses and in gyms. You'll hear what actually gets through to teens: vanity beats fear, the aim is simply not to burn, and the best sunscreen is the one you'll wear. Along the way they share their own tanning regrets and Mohs surgery stories, and cover how much SPF you really get from a typical application, string bikini tan lines, spray tans, morning sun and vitamin D, snow and altitude exposure, and why lasers can't erase sun damage on the chest, neck and legs.

In this episode:

0:00 — Why Skin Cancer Patients Are Getting Younger

1:35 — What Is Tan Maxing? Meet Dr. Whitney Hovenic

4:09 — Spring Break Sunburns and the Return of Tanning

6:21 — How to Get Through to Gen Z: Just Don't Burn

9:02 — Self-Tanners, Sunscreen Habits and Skin Cancer in Your 20s

11:09 — Dermatology as Prevention: Sunscreen Cuts Melanoma Risk in Half

12:21 — The Base Tan Myth and Why Tanning Beds Are Coffins

13:57 — Even Dermatologists Get Burned

15:46 — Why Tinted Sunscreen Changes Everything