Is there EVER a safe way to achieve Katie Price’s deep mahogany tan? From sunbeds to sprays, expert reveals all
IT'S described as a healthy glow, that summer accessory we are all desperate for.
But what price do we have to pay for achieving the deep mahogany tan that the likes of Katie Price parade around the beach?
The star has been snapped soaking up the sunshine on holiday in the Maldives.
She has updated fans with pics on Instagram, inspiring the tanorexics among us.
The sad but true fact of the matter is that a tan is a sign of damage that has been inflicted on the delicate skin cells covering your body.
It's also a sign that the skin is trying to protect itself from harsh UV rays, according to top skin doctor Dr Walayat Hussain.
Those UV rays can come from direct sunlight, reflected sunlight bouncing off water, snow, concrete and other surfaces, as well as the real villain of the tanning world: sunbeds.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
Dermatologist Dr Hussain, from the British Association of Dermatologists, warns that getting on a sunbed exposes you to very concentrated UV rays.
It's essentially like "putting yourself in an oven," he told The Sun Online.
He said there is "no such thing as a safe tan", and if you want to achieve a bronzed goddess look you're better off faking it.
"Spray tans generally are probably the safest way of getting a tan," he said.
"If you have sensitive skin then some people might get an irritation on their skin but from a cancer risk there is nothing that we are aware of."
But that is where the safe tanning ends.
Lying out in the sun for hours on end, like Katie Price, may be just what you think you need after a busy spell at work.
But, if you don't take precautions you'll have more to worry about than just an unsightly set of tan lines.
The biggest risk is skin cancer, but exposure to the sun can also cause premature ageing included those dreaded wrinkles.
It's (using sunbeds) like putting yourself in an oven
Dr Walayat Hussain
Dr Hussain added: "From a scientific view point, tanning is your body trying to protect itself to minimise further sun damage taking place.
"So, by definition, if you get a tan it means there has already been some sun damage that has taken place and your body is trying to minimise it by putting down a tan.
"It is like putting an umbrella up after you have already got wet from the rain."
Dr Hussain explained, when UV rays hit the skin the cells that produce melanin, which lie in the top layer of the skin, are activated.
The more and more UV that hits, the more damage is caused and its the melanin, he said, that acts like the umbrella.
AN EXPERT VIEW - HOW TO PREVENT SUNBURN
Dr Hussain's tips for avoiding sun damage...
- always wear a minimum of SPF 30 suncream
- seek shade wherever possible
- avoid being in the sun during the hottest part of the day (usually 11am-3pm)
- reapply suncream regularly, especially after going in water
- wear loose fitting clothing and a wide brimmed hat to protect your skin
Melanin is the pigment that gives our hair, skin and eyes their colour and is produced by cells called melanocytes.
Dark-skinned people have more melanin than those who are pale.
Dr Hussain added: "When you are exposed to UV rays, the DNA in the skin's cells are damaged.
"Normally there are mechanisms that act as a policing system, repairing the broken DNA.
"The more damage that's caused, those repair mechanisms can't cope and that is when skin cancer can develop."
There are more than 15,000 new cases of melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer - in the UK each year, according to Cancer Research UK.
More than 2,000 people in the UK died from skin cancer in 2014.
But, if you thought escaping the sun's rays and opting for a sunbed was a safer bet, you should think again - they are worse, much worse.
There is no telling whether a tanning parlour you walk into is properly regulated and the beds properly serviced, so you may be subjecting your body to more UV and other harsh rays than you realised.
Why is tanning dangerous?
Everyone exposed to UV rays is at risk of sunburn, though some people are more vulnerable than others.
We all have something in the skin called melanin, which is what gives your skin its colour.
People with darker skin have more melanin, while fairer people have less.
It is melanin that makes your skin tan or, in severe cases, burn.
The body normally makes melanin to try and protect the deeper layers of skin from damage.
When the skin is damaged by the sun's rays, it makes even more melanin to try and protect it from more damage.
This is what causes the skin to change colour.
When your body is producing more melanin it is actually trying to protect you from developing skin cancer, as damage has already been caused to the DNA in your skin cells from the sun.
You cannot tan without having damaged you skin cells first.
The more melanin you produce, so the darker you go, the more at risk of skin cancer you are because you’ve had more exposure to UV rays.
People who spend a lot of time outside in the sun, are at increased risk of skin cancer if they don't protect their skin.
Dr Hussain explained: "Sunbeds cause skin cancer in the same way that cigarettes cause lung cancer and heart disease.
"One of the problems we have is that surveys have found the amount of UV rays emitted by these tanning devices don't actually match up to what they claim to do.
"It is like Russian roulette, you don't know what is coming out of them, which makes it really dangerous.
"There is no natural wind, there is no shadow, there is no cloud cover or anything like that to protect you.
"We know that if you use sunbeds it is a massive risk factor for the development of skin cancer later on in life."
On top of serious cancer risk, exposure to harsh UV rays can also prematurely age your skin.
Dr Hussain added: "What is really interesting is the ageing risk tends to resonate more with my younger patients than if I told them about a skin cancer risk.
"UV ages the skin prematurely because it has an effect on collagen (the chemical responsible for the skins elasticity) so you end up with wrinkly, creased, leathery skin.
"Lots of people get very blotchy freckles as well which they find cosmetically unappealing."
So, bottom line... yes there is a safe way to achieve Katie Price's magnificent tan, but faking it is the only way to protect your health.
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