Kim Kardashian shrugs off backlash over her ‘irresponsible’ tanning bed viral video while hat shopping in Aspen with skin cancer survivor sister Khloe
Kim Kardashian surfaced Thursday amid growing backlash over her now-viral video promoting tanning beds to her millions of TikTok followers.
The reality TV star, 43, was slammed as ‘irresponsible’ for using her massive platform to spotlight a beauty practice that’s known to increase the risk of skin cancer.
But Kim looked unbothered by her critics as she shopped with her sister Khloe, a two-time melanoma survivor, at Kumo Sabe in Aspen, Colorado.
She was photographed wandering around the pricey Western apparel store wearing a beige cowboy hat and a glamorous black fur coat.
Kim completed her cozy look with pointy heels, a low-cut top and flared pants.
Kim Kardashian surfaced Thursday in Aspen, Colorado amid growing backlash over her now-viral video promoting tanning beds to her millions of TikTok followers.
The reality TV star, 43, was slammed as ‘irresponsible’ for using her massive platform to spotlight a beauty practice that’s known to increase the risk of skin cancer
But Kim looked unbothered by her critics as she shopped at Kumo Sabe
Meanwhile, Khloe, 39, was seen bundled up in a massive fur coat and fur hat as she braved the snowfall with their little half-sister Kendall Jenner, 28.
In 2022, Khloe received a ‘rare’ melanoma diagnosis after having a lump on her cheek biopsied.
She had to have an ‘immediate operation’ and the tumor was successfully removed.
But it left an indent on one side of her face that she’s since had to have filled.
She previously had surgery at age 19 to remove melanoma on her back.
Khloe’s most recent skin cancer scare was shown on her family’s reality TV series The Kardashians, with the Good American founder warning fans that it’s ‘deadly.’
Despite melanoma running in her family, Kim looked at ease as she showed off the massive tanning bed in her office.
She did so as part of the new ‘of course’ TikTok trend that sees people gently poke fun at common perceptions about themselves.
At one point during the tour, Kim addressed the camera wearing special black goggles while lounging inside a tanning bed.
‘I’m Kim Kardashian, of course I have a tanning bed…,’ she stated, but paused to jump out and jog over to a $78k red light therapy bed. ‘And a red light bed in my office!’
The reality TV star’s fans and critics quickly took to social media to express their disappointment
Kim was joined by her sister Khloe, 39, who is a two-time melanoma survivor
Khloe hung out outside the store with their little half-sister Kendall Jenner, 28
Dermatologists on the app warned Kim and her fans about the many health risks of using tanning beds, especially given her family history of melanoma.
Studies have shown that indoor tanning increases the risk of developing the two most common types of skin cancer — squamous cell carcinoma by 58 percent and basal cell carcinoma by 24 percent.
Denver-based dermatologist Dr Scott Walter said: ‘Kim, no disrespect, but why do you have a tanning bed when your sister has had a history of melanoma herself? [referring here to Khloe].
‘If you have a family history of it, your risk for melanoma goes up by 74 percent. And that’s on top of the risk of indoor tanning and melanoma alone.
‘Let’s not promote indoor tanning. There’s no such thing as a safe tan.’
‘I’m Kim Kardashian, of course I have a tanning bed…,’ she stated, but paused to jump out and jog over to another bed. ‘And a red light bed in my office!’
Dr Aamna Adel, a London-based dermatologist, simply commented ‘Tanning bed’ with a crying emoji, which kicked off a series of commenters bemoaning the fact that she promoted an unsafe practice.
The first response to Dr Adel’s comment said: ‘THANK YOU!! I had to scroll down so far to find this �� Completely banned in Australia yrs ago due to skin damage/skin cancer risk.’
Another said: ‘In 2024 �� Does she have an ashtray next to it ?’
And another: ‘So can I go back into the tanning beds if Kim Kardashian does ?’
Her defenders were quick to point out that the mogul might be using a tanning bed to treat her psoriasis, an autoimmune condition that leads to inflamed scaly patches on the skin, usually on the scalp, elbows, and knees.
UVB rays, the kind of the sun that cause burns, are believed to help clear psoriasis flare-ups. But tanning beds mainly release UVA light, the type that can lead most readily to wrinkles and other signs of premature aging, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Tanning to treat psoriasis is not recommended because the cancer risk far outweighs any benefit.
As one commenter put it: ‘I can’t even believe that has to be explained in this day and age.’
Tanning beds are a known carcinogen, so much so that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires warning labels on all indoor tanning equipment
The American Academy of Dermatology Association strongly advises against going for a tanning bed to achieve the coveted Kardashian glow.
‘Indoor tanning can increase the risk of developing the two most common types of skin cancer – squamous cell carcinoma by 58 percent and basal cell carcinoma by 24 percent.’
While tanning bed use rates are decreasing, the AADA reported that roughly 7.8 million Americans have not been dissuaded.