Why a fake tan may be the way forward

8:52am Wednesday 7th May 2008

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SUN worshippers love the idea of achieving a bronzed body for the beach. If that means cooking themselves like so many sausages on a spit then so be it' seems to be the attitude, especially from young people.

Who can blame them? The Englishman with his spindly white legs sticking out of a pair of ill-fitting grey shorts remains one of the most disturbing images our nation has inflicted on civilisation.

Like the beer belly and the Queen it is our trademark export, a badge of our national identity.

But with warnings about the health risks of sun-damged skin and even the risk of skin cancer, it often seems that sun lovers cannot have the best of both worlds.

They must choose between their health and a head-turning tan.

Is there really a way to have both? A fake tan may be the answer as part of a health campaign which is being organised by shops based at the CrownGate in Worcester, including Mothercare, Debenhams and The Body Shop.

The campaign is timely as many people prepare for their summer holidays.

Cancer Research UK has just revealed that more than a third of under 25s spend more than five hours a day in the sun.

Cases of malignant melanoma - the most dangerous kind of skin cancer - have doubled in the last 15 years.

Eric Williams, aged 55, of Charter Place, off Castle Street, Worcester, has helped raise awareness of the risks for the Cancer Research UK's SunSmart Campaign and would like to see more people using fake tan. Tests confirmed a lump on his neck was a malignant desmoplastic melanoma - the most aggressive form of cancer.

Mr Williams had to have the tumour removed in two operations in the South Bank Hospital in Worcester and the Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham in November 2004.

He says the cancer may be down to sunny holidays in south Wales as a child in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Mr Williams, who now uses factor 50 sunblock, said at least one of his three daughters now used fake tan because of what had happened to him.

He added: "There does seem to be this tendency among the younger generation to toast themselves, whether it's simply out of ignorance or they have too many beers and fall asleep on the beach. Anything, including fake tan, that keeps people away from the dangers of skin cancer has to be a good thing."

Cancer Research UK reports that the overwhelming majority of skin cancers are caused by excessive exposure to the sun - with sun beds being just as potentially damaging as natural sunlight.

Worcestershire GP Dr Russell Kelsey said: "A tan for many people is regarded as a healthy look. However, it is actually more of a warning sign that your skin has been detrimentally affected by ultraviolet radiation."

The issue has been highlighted by the national press again following a proposal by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that people under the age of 18 should be banned from using sun beds altogether. The proposal by HSE comes hot on the heels of a survey by Which? magazine estimating that 170,000 under 16s in the UK have used a sun bed.

Meanwhile, two British celebrities, still only in their 30s, have spoken to the press about their personal experiences with skin cancer scares and sun damage. Film star Ewan McGregor recently had to have several cancerous moles removed from his face.

He said: "I just went to have them checked. You have to be careful if you're pale skinned and you spend time in the sun with moles. I went to see a specialist who thought they were better to be removed and indeed he was correct."

In another candid revelation, stage actress and television presenter Denise Van Outen revealed that she regularly used a sunbed and started when she was a teenager.

She said: "I didn't know the risks, but I'm paying for it now. It's my biggest regret - I have pigmentation problems on my face."

Van Outen, aged 33, said her message to youngsters was that using a sunbed, risking skin cancer for a tan, was simply "not worth the risk" - her tan now comes from a bottle.

Babies and children are especially vulnerable to the sun's potentially damaging impact. Now, shops in CrownGate have teamed up to remind people there are other ways to get a great looking tan than sitting in the sun for hours at a time.

Assistant manager of Mothercare in CrownGate Amanda Dotti said they sell parasols, canopies, sun hats and sunglasses aimed at protecting children who are too young to use creams, lotions and sun blocks.

She said: "From the ages of six months onwards, we stock specifically designed creams, lotions and factor 50 sun blocks."

Boots, Regis, Debenhams, Body Shop and Superdrug in CrownGate stock a range of fake tanning products so people can get the look without having to put their health in danger.

Regis manager Laura Gibbons said the store uses a brand made primarily from plant extracts and natural ingredients called Guinot.

She said: "The whole procedure takes a maximum of 90 minutes and is applied by our professional tanning expert leaving you with a bronzed look for up to three weeks."