1 hour ago
2
The operators of an illegal solarium coaxed customers out of their tanning beds and thrust tanning creams into their hands in a vain attempt to hoodwink officers raiding their establishment.
F.A Beauty, trading as The Tanned Me, was ordered to forfeit nine tanning beds worth $90,000 each and pay $35,300 in fines plus legal fees after officers from the NSW Environment Protection Agency and NSW Police raided its Bondi Junction and Fairfield solarium salons.
It has been illegal to operate commercial UV cosmetic tanning services in NSW since the state government introduced a ban on the cancer-causing practice in December 2014.
More people develop skin cancer from the so-called ‘sunbeds’ than develop lung cancer from smoking, globally.
The Tanned Me case is the first successful prosecution of a solarium business by the NSW EPA, as the watchdog targets underground operators and a cottage industry of at-home solariums that promote their businesses on their websites and social media, which is also illegal.
On August 8, 2024, an EPA officer and police officers rang the intercom at the locked door serving as the entrance to The Tanning Me’s Bondi Junction salon, according to the agreed facts of the case.
A woman’s voice answered, saying, “Hi, do you have a booking?”
When an EPA officer identified herself and told the woman they were there to conduct an inspection and that she needed to open the door, the intercom call cut off.
After seven minutes and several more attempts to use the intercom and knock on the door, a customer let the officers inside.
During those seven minutes, an employee rounded up all the customers in the tanning rooms and handed them tanning creams, telling them they were there to buy the products, according to the agreed facts.
There were four UV tanning beds or upright booths, all switched off. But when officers put their hands on the units, they were still warm, according to court documents.
Each tanning unit was capable of admitting UV radiation in wavelengths of 100 to 200 nanometres, for the purpose of tanning human skin.
EPA officers had also inspected The Tanning Me’s Fairfield premises in November 2023. They found five UV beds or upright booths, tanning goggles, tanning lamps, a price list for tanning minutes, tanning accelerator creams, melatonin injections, $615 in cash and an envelope labelled “keys to the tanning rooms”.
The officers found more than $800 in cash across both premises and evidence of client bookings made through private online messaging platforms.
“This case is the culmination of a long and detailed investigation,” NSW EPA Executive Director of Regulatory Practice and Services Emma Whale said after the judgment was delivered on 10 June.
“Our radiation laws are in place for a good reason, which is to protect people’s health. Exposure to UV radiation can significantly increase your risk of skin cancer,” Whales said.
The Tanned Me’s Instagram account, with just over 6800 followers, features before-and-after images of customers’ tanned skin, as well as videos promoting its salon in the United Arab Emirates, where commercial solariums are legal.
In an Instagram story on Wednesday, The Tanned Me thanked its clients for their kind messages and support and assured them that the business would continue to operate in the UAE.
“We are incredibly thankful for a community that shares our values and continues to support us. Your trust means the world to us, and we look forward to serving you for many years to come,” the Instagram story read.
UV tanning beds increase the risk of cancers, including melanoma, ocular melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer risk is heightened with every exposure.
Under 35-year-olds who use a tanning unit increase their risk of developing melanoma by up to 75 per cent compared to those who don’t use tanning beds. One study found that just one sunbed session increases the risk of developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by 67 per cent. They are also associated with burns, eye diseases, immunosuppression and premature skin ageing.
In August 2025, the NSW government strengthened the state’s radiation laws, raising on-the-spot fines for operating commercial UV tanning beds from $1500 to $10,000 for a corporation and up to $5000 for an individual.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
