Kim Kardashian Responds to Backlash Over Her Tanning Bed in Her Office Tour

Kim Kardashian is defending her tanning bed usage after being criticized for promoting the one she has in her office. The Kardashians star, 43, came under fire after showing off her in-office tanning bed while making a TikTok video of her SKKN BY KIM offices. 

Putting her own spin on the "of course" TikTok trend, Kardashian showed herself in her tanning bed as she teased, "I'm Kim Kardashian, of course I have a tanning bed – and a red light bed – in my office." Kardashian's reveal that she uses a tanning bed sparked concern from followers, who pointed out that indoor tanning raises the risk of melanoma by 59 percent, according to the American Academy of Dermatology and the World Health Organization.

I have psoriasis and it really helps when it’s bad. But I don’t use it too often https://t.co/QuIvUgcZcZ

— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) January 19, 2024

So when Allure magazine pleaded with Kardashian on X (formerly Twitter) not to "try to normalize tanning beds," the SKIMS co-founder was quick to respond by defending her usage. "I have psoriasis and it really helps when it's bad," she wrote. "But I don't use it too often." Kardashian has been open about her psoriasis struggles for more than a decade, revealing her diagnosis first in 2011 on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The star has even gone as far as to share photos of the itchy, scaly patches all over her skin during a flare-up.

But while tanning beds are popular for treating psoriasis, the National Psoriasis Foundation "does not support the use of indoor tanning beds as a substitute for phototherapy performed with a prescription and under a health care provider's supervision," due to the increased risk of skin cancer. Tanning beds are also not the most effective treatment for psoriasis sufferers, as commercial beds emit mostly UVA light, not UVB, which is the kind that is beneficial for psoriasis treatment. 

Kardashian also has a history of melanoma in her family, as her sister Khloé Kardashian had melanoma removed from her face in 2022. "I have done one biopsy on this bump that I just assumed was a zit, turns out it's not a zit," she shared on The Kardashians of her diagnosis. "It's melanoma, and for my age, it's incredibly rare." She continued, "Melanoma is deadly. This is way more serious than I anticipated it to be."

Following the removal of the melanoma and subsequent facial reconstruction, the Good American co-founder took to social media to share grisly images of the process. "I never imagined that this tiny spec would turn into skin cancer and I can't fathom what could have possibly happened had I not gone to the doctor to get it looked at," she wrote in September. "Praise the Lord for covering me and thank you to everyone who was a part of my journey. It's an ongoing one!"