In February, 14-year-old Kirsty McRae was rushed to hospital with first-degree burns. She’d spent 19 minutes on a coin-operated sunbed in Barry, South Wales, where a sign advertised four minutes’ use for £1. When Kirsty had asked about getting a spray tan because she felt pale, her mum had said no: ‘I wish now I’d said yes,’ she said.
Two months later, Kelly Thompson, just ten, sustained burns over 70 per cent of her body after 16 minutes on an unmanned sunbed; two minutes more and she would have needed skin grafts. She will have to avoid direct sunlight for the next ten years.
Shockingly, anyone can set up a tanning ‘salon’. Although the Sunbed Association’s Code of Practice, in line with EU and UK government guidance, states that sunbeds should not be used by children under 16 (because of their delicate skin), only 22 per cent of sunbed operators are members. And unmanned beds may or may not have warning signs.
According to guidelines, sunbed users should be asked a set of questions (including how old they are and if they’re taking any medication) and have their skin type assessed (the very fair should never use sunbeds).
But in a report (awaiting publication) of 69 manned facilities by Julie Barratt, director of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Wales, secret shoppers found that more than half would allow under-16s to use the sunbeds if they had parental consent or were with an adult. Only 23 per cent checked skin type and just two salons asked if the ‘customer’ was taking medication.
But horrific burns are not the only risks sunbeds present. ‘Any sunburn increases the risk of potentially fatal malignant melanoma, particularly a sunburn in childhood [under 18], which may lead to cancer years later,’ says Professor Antony Young of St John’s Institute of Dermatology in London.
According to Cancer Research UK, there are twice as many cases of malignant melanoma as there are of breast cancer among women in their 20s. Although the Sunbed Association website claims it’s a ‘myth’ that ‘melanoma is directly associated with UV exposure’, leading experts disagree. ‘It’s like the tobacco industry saying there is no evidence that tobacco causes lung cancer,’ says Professor Young.
Sunbed operators say their equipment delivers mostly UVA, which has in the past been linked to ageing, rather than UVB, responsible for burning. But, says Professor Nick Lowe of the Cranley Clinic, London, ‘There is ample evidence implicating UVA as the silent skin damager in melanoma.’
And Professor Young adds that ‘sunbeds still emit some UVB, which is 1,000 times more powerful than UVA, so even a tiny percentage can be dangerous’. Cancer Research UK warns that those who use a sunbed once a month or more can increase their skin cancer risk by more than half.
After reviewing all published data, American dermatologist Dr David E Fisher, president of the Society of Melanoma Research, and colleagues conclude that, ‘Whereas genetic and other factors undoubtedly contribute to skin cancer risk, the role of UV is incontrovertible, and efforts to confuse the public, particularly for purposes of economic gain by the indoor tanning industry, should be vigorously combated.’
In the UK, a beauty industry lobbying group, led by Michelle Feeney, CEO of St Tropez, and Welsh MP Siân James (and supported by professors Young and Lowe), is calling for legislation to ban the use of sunbeds by under-18s, to end all unmanned facilities and introduce health warning signs similar to those on cigarette packets.
But first Siân needs a minimum of 10,000 signatures to present in a petition to Parliament. Sign up at st-tropezskinsmart.org. Many experts hope the outcome will be a total ban on sunbeds.
Parabens out, quids in
Asda has launched its own no-nasties nappies and baby skincare range at credit-crunch-busting prices. Products are paraben-free, dermatalogically tested and low-fragrance, and come in 25-per-cent-recycled bottles. We love the Little Angels baby shampoo (98p for 250ml) and the degradable nappy sacks (£1.71 for 75). What’s more, the eco-nappies (with biodegradable backing) don’t leak!
Coffee break benefit
Giving up coffee cleared Mary Bryson’s severe acne after 20 years of break-outs: ‘Doctors are sceptical but nothing worked until I discovered this intolerance. I suggest sufferers have a food sensitivity test now,’ she says.
Website of the week
ompadma.co.uk
Gorgeous yoga weekend bags, £35, and accessories, including a charming pink or turquoise Karma Shopper, £12.
All made by a women’s cooperative in India, sourced by ex-Treasury high-flyer Lou Tilbury.
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