It’s time to ditch the tanning (fake or otherwise) advises our columnist, Loose Women presenter and proud owner of pasty pins, Jane Moore.
As the November nights draw in and the summer tan fades, my legs are once again turning white and goosebumpy.
Think of that solitary, sad chicken drumstick in the supermarket chiller and you get the picture. So for me, it’s trousers and socks for the foreseeable.
There are alternatives, of course, but regular fake tanning takes effort – not only in getting it done (or doing it yourself) but also in the reams of washing required when your lovely white sheets turn sepia.
In my youth, I would blithely frequent the numerous tanning salons near my home in the Midlands, blissfully unaware of the potential harms. In fact, we thought we were getting a “healthy” glow.
At first, it was a sunbed – aka a fluorescent tomb in which we lay down with just two small discs of plastic on our eyes for protection. It felt clammy, claustrophobic and borderline unbearable, but hey, that was the price we paid for becoming a bronzed beauty.When the standing booths were invented, it felt positively space-age when we stood, starkers and arms raised, as 80s charts hits were pumped through speakers. It all felt very glamorous.
Then various research studies started to emerge, showing that far from being a harmless way to get a tan, using a sunbed even once can increase the risk of melanoma by 20 per cent, and it rises to 87 per cent if you’re under 30.
Consequently, in 2010, the government banned under 18s from using them, attendance dropped and many (but not all) salons went out of business, with lots of people turning to fake tanning instead, whilst others (me) gave up the ghost and actually resembled one too. But now it seems that young people are once again using sunbeds despite there being so much information around about the potential harm. Seriously?
Apparently, the video-sharing app TikTok is driving the trend and, according to website dazeddigital.com, the hashtag #sunbed boasts an astonishing 549 million views. Influencers are advising what clothes to wear to and from the salon, as well as others flogging tan accelerators to use for your session.
According to data by Melanoma Focus, 42 per cent of 18-25 year olds have used them. One influencer, whose Come for a sunbed with me post has nearly 1 million views, says people are prepared to risk the dangers because, “Everyone wants to be tanned... it just looks bet
