A fringe theory is catching fire online, and health experts are sounding the alarm. 

Influencers and wellness gurus are promoting the debunked claim that exposure to the sun’s powerful ultraviolet rays isn’t only safe, it’s beneficial. 

Despite medical consensus linking UV rays to skin cancers killing about 8,000 Americans each year, some believe UV exposure isn’t responsible. But experts disagree.

And while exposure to UV light was historically used as a medical treatment until the 1940s, doctors abandoned it when antibiotics became available.

As social media provides a platform for people to promote dangerous theories, the Daily Mail consulted with doctors to conduct some major myth-busting.

‘UV rays are absolutely associated with all forms of skin cancer (basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma) in most cases,’ said Dr Jason Miller, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Dr David Johnson, another board-certified dermatologist, has also soundly refuted the claims, telling the Daily Mail that ‘UV light is not harmless.’ 

‘It can damage skin cells, hurt your DNA and give you skin cancer,’ he added. ‘I’ve seen it again and again.

Influencers and wellness gurus are promoting the debunked claim that exposure to the sun’s powerful ultraviolet rays aren’t only safe but also actively beneficial. Experts disagree (stock photo)

‘People show up in my office after being in the sun for years with basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or melanoma, the three most frequently occurring skin cancers.’ 

An estimated 104,000 new melanomas will be diagnosed in 2025, while more than 8,400 people are expected to die from them.

The actual number of more common non-melanoma cancers is unknown.

While not tracked in cancer registries, an estimated 5.4 million annual US skin cancer cases (mostly basal and squamous cell carcinomas) occur yearly. 

The online footprint of UV light denialism is expanding rapidly, with different videos rattling off a list of unproven and often debunked ‘benefits’ garnering tens of thousands of views.

One TikTok creator claims the sun’s rays don’t cause skin cancer, which doctors reject as misinformation.

‘Unfortunately, in 2025, you do not need to have claims like this peer reviewed and published in a journal the way scientists would,’ Dr Miller said.

‘Anyone can post an opinion – often based on another piece of misinformation found online – on a blog or social media that, even without fact checking, will be taken as truth by those who choose to only believe what they wish.’

Another creator told his followers to skip sunglasses, ‘because glass filters out the good UBV rays from the sun.’ 

But, according to a study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, sunlight’s UV and blue light can cause cataracts, macular degeneration and eye cancers. Sunglasses help block these harmful rays – though effectiveness depends on lens quality, fit and coverage.

Dr Melanie Palm, a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic plastic surgeon, told the Daily Mail that UVB rays help synthesize vitamin D, aiding in calcium absorption and improving bone health and immune systems. She also called sunlight ‘critical’ for circadian rhythm regulation.

‘That said, moderation and protection are key,’ she added. ‘This means limiting your time in the sun, avoiding exposure during peak hours and using protections like a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, UPF clothing or sitting in the shade.’

Between 1999 and 2021, age-adjusted rates of melanoma rose from 12 to 19 per 100,000 women (a 57.5 percent increase) and from 19 to 29 per 100,000 men (a 47.4 percent increase)

Other myths and false or exaggerated claims say UV repairs skin, boosts testosterone, prevents early death and enhances the production of immune cells.

‘UV light is not harmless,’ Dr Johnson said. ‘It can damage skin cells, hurt your DNA and give you skin cancer.’

 UV-induced DNA damage raises the risk for all cancers – not just skin cancer – by mutating tumor-suppressing genes, a key driver of the majority of cancers.

When it comes to skin cancer, different types have different prognoses. 

In the early stages, doctors are generally able to surgically remove cancerous lumps or suspicious moles. It’s why prevention and annual full-body checks from a dermatologist are so crucial.

But when the cancer has advanced to stage three or four, treatment becomes more intense, taking a greater toll on the body.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US, with one in five Americans projected to develop it by the age of 70.

And while early detection and treatment of melanoma increase survival rates to around 99 percent, that rate drops to 66 percent once the cancer has reached the lymph nodes, and further to 27 percent if it has spread to other organs.

Dr David Johnson, board-certified dermatologist, has soundly refuted the claims, telling the Daily Mail, ‘UV light is not harmless. It can damage skin cells, hurt your DNA, and give you skin cancer’

Regarding the hormone claims, some small studies suggest that moderate sun exposure may increase testosterone levels indirectly by boosting vitamin D production.

But the wider medical community isn’t convinced. A report in the International Journal of Exercise Science studied six men and concluded that acute UV exposure didn’t change testosterone levels.

A 2022 report in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, meanwhile, noted that a few studies have shown UV radiation may increase sex steroid hormone levels.

‘However,’ researchers said, ‘these studies either do not include human participants or do not specifically evaluate UV radiation exposure to the genitals.’

Furthermore, a 2013 analysis of NASA satellite data tied residential UV exposure to higher death rates from cancer, heart disease and respiratory illness in 346,615 adults.

And contrary to claims that acute UV exposure boosts the immune system, Argentinian researchers concluded in 2016 that acute exposure to sunlight causes UV-induced immunosuppression, ‘affecting the skin first, and then the whole body.’

Dr Jason Miller, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Jersey, told the Daily Mail ‘UV rays are absolutely associated with all forms of skin cancer (basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma) in most cases’

The same movement that promotes unsafe sun exposure also spreads exaggerated concerns about benzene, a carcinogen, in sunscreen. 

Benzene is not added to sunscreen, it’s a trace contaminant from manufacturing or storage.

UV radiation is also a carcinogen, and skipping sunscreen guarantees over-exposure.  

Experts unanimously agree that skipping sun protection poses well-documented risks far more dangerous than any potential concerns about using sunscreen.

Every sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer. 

More specifically, experiencing five or more blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 increases a person’s melanoma risk by 80 percent and non-melanoma skin cancer risk by 68 percent.

According to Dr Miller, ‘The risk of sunburn, skin cancer, facial aging, wrinkling, skin thinning and cyst formation from UV exposure is supported by years of data.’

And as melanoma rates rise worldwide, with projections pointing to a 50 percent increase by 2040, doctors fear that more and more young people are being indoctrinated to believe this roundly debunked theory that UV isn’t dangerous.

‘My advice would be not to trust social media posts on X and TikTok for educational advice,’ Dr Palm added.

‘Appropriate resources, including the American Academy of Dermatology or the Skin Cancer Foundation, are much better sources for true information from decades of research regarding skin-related issues.’