A UK teenager has revealed how her daily sunbed habit has been labelled 'blackfishing' on social media.
Eighteen-year-old Taylor Humphrey from the English village of Mendlesham, Suffolk says when she experienced a sunbed for the first time she "fell in love".
"I was so happy. When I first got it I started off doing eight minutes at a time and built it up over a few months," she tells the Daily Mail.
"I would describe myself as being over the top and very glamorous, so having a tan is essential for me... I can't leave the house without a tan."
But Humphrey has been accused of "trying to change race" with her sunbed habit. On social media, people have accused her of 'blackfishing' - pretending to be black or mixed-race.
"Someone had even posted a TikTok about me and my tan saying that I was doing blackfishing," she says.
"People even wanted me to delete my social media. I just try to ignore people when they say stuff like this about me and don't retaliate... I just like having a tan.
"I have received some stick for my tan but it's not like I am using fake tan. I can't help it if my skin goes this tanned."
Humphrey claims she doesn't use a sunbed for more than 20 minutes per day as that is the "maximum recommended amount".
Indeed, there are risks involved with using a sunbed, particularly around overuse.
According to the New Zealand Ministry of Health, "using a sunbed is never recommended" and they are "not a safe way to tan or boost your vitamin D".
"Sunbeds expose users to higher levels of dangerous UV radiation than the sun and increase your risk of melanoma and other skin cancers," the Ministry of Health says.
You are also more at risk of developing skin cancer the more often you use sunbeds, and the younger you start using them.
