Looking Good For Summer...A Guide To A Tanning Salon

So you want a tan, but with the weather being nothing more than a "typical English summer" (cloudy and pretty damn cold!), the chances of you getting that sun-kissed golden glow, you were hoping for, are about the same as Ben Affleck turning up on your doorstep and confessing his undying love for you! So what would be your next idea...maybe to be whisked away to some tropical Caribbean island...But lets face it the chances of that is pretty slim as well.

For those of us who are left to enjoy the cloudy humidity of Britain, the only hope for us to achieve a healthy-looking tan is to either:

A) Try the hugely entertaining task of applying fake tan to our desperately lily white bodies...to be left with a some what streaky and rather orange looking appearance - come on, everyone has made that mistake at least once in there life!

Or B) Why not venture into a Tanning Salon to achieve a very similar tan to that of the real sun. This seems like the only reasonable option that will leave you looking glowing like you had been on that Caribbean island after all.

So with all the publicity of Ultra-violet rays, just how safe are tanning beds? From talking to tanning shop employees the overall opinion was that these beds, like the sun, are safe but only when used with caution and great care.

Here Are the Scientific Facts:

There are actually less Burning rays (UVB) in tanning beds than there are in the sun. So if you use the beds moderately, and with professional supervision, it will be a lot safer than laying out in the sun.

By going to an efficient salon the staff will make sure that your skin doesn't burn. By not burning you are not damaging your skin as much as you would if over-exposing it to a whole days sunshine- like most of us try to do!

Five Top Tips Before Using Tanning Beds:

• Make sure you sign up with a recognised Tanning Shop, which has health and safety regulations displayed clearly and a list of medications that react with the UV rays when being taken.

• Never use a bed unless the procedures have been fully explained and you have been shown exactly how to use the tanning bed.

• Always make sure you have had a skin consultation by the shop before using the beds.

• Never put on baby oil before going onto a bed (or in the sun), as the oil will cause your skin to fry!

• Eat and drink plenty before using a bed or going in the sun so to prevent dehydration and dizziness.

Remember and follow these few simple facts and you can return to your school looking a sun-kissed glowing babe...and you won't have had to suffer the agony and danger of sunburn like all your mates who did go abroad and weren't careful!!

- Vick