One week it's looksmaxxing or auromaxxing, and the next it's tanmaxxing.
If you're a parent of a tween or teenager, you've probably noticed that social media is full of trends promising the "ideal" appearance. Some focus on skincare, others on fitness or facial features. Now, a growing number of videos are encouraging young people to chase the perfect summer glow.
Health experts warn that many of the practices promoted for tanmaxxing encourage unsafe sun exposure and spread misinformation about skin health. Even more worrying, the trend highlights how easily social media can convince young people that risky habits are normal or healthy.
Key takeaways
Tanmaxxing is a viral social media trend that encourages people to achieve a darker tan, often through excessive UV exposure.
Some "tanfluencers" promote risky activities such as tanning during peak UV hours, skipping sunscreen, or using tanning beds.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 64% of Gen Z have encountered sunscreen misinformation online, while 36% say influencers are their primary source of skincare advice.
Dermatologists say there is no such thing as a healthy tan because tanning is a sign that the skin has already been damaged by UV rays.
Parents can use this trend as an opportunity to talk about body image, online misinformation, and why some popular trends on social media are unsafe.
What is tanmaxxing?
Tanmaxxing is part of a growing family of online trends under the umbrella term known as “"maxxing" that encourage people to optimize some aspect of their appearance.
If looksmaxxing is about improving facial features, tanmaxxing is about becoming as tanned as possible.
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