Commercial solariums are banned, but booking a session takes minutes

Despite being illegal in most of Australia, commercial solariums remain readily available through an underground market, accessible with just a few minutes of online searching.

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They're extremely easy to find. They're everywhere in this underground tanning world.

Individuals seeking tanning sessions can easily find operators via social media platforms, often booking appointments through private messages and receiving links to clandestine locations. These operations vary significantly, from single tanning beds discreetly set up in suburban garages to more elaborate setups hidden within seemingly legitimate businesses like hair salons or smoothie shops.

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There's definitely that model where it's very private and you're going to someone's home and it's very secretive.

One user, who has been using solariums for about eight years, described the process as simple and integrated into her broader appearance enhancement routine. She typically books a session once a week when the weather cools and the sun disappears.

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Or you'll go into what might be a hair salon or it might be a smoothie shop or anything, it can be really bizarre places that you would never guess that a solarium is there, but you walk in and out the back the solarium's there for people to use.

Authorities have seized tanning beds and prosecuted operators, issuing fines and imposing community correction orders. However, enforcement questions arise as no one has been charged for operating a commercial solarium in Victoria in the past two years, despite the state's Department of Health asserting a strong stance against them.

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We have taken a strong stance on solariums since they were banned, seizing and destroying many beds across the state and we won't hesitate to act where needed to protect the public health of Victorians.