Now before anyone lectures about the bad points, I
A. know about the high risk of skin cancer
B. know about the drying of the skin and ageing etc etc
What I would like to know is this :-
I have very fair skin. and used to just burn straight away.
I now brown, but I am out in the sun in T shirts from about March due to my job.
But I have a strip on my back where my T shirt rides up and the other obvious white bits after wearing shorts and Strappy T shirts at work.
Can fair skinned people use sunbeds and do you burn like you do i the sun???If you have to do it gradually, how long should you be on it each time and how many times Ish!!!!
What hppens tro the brown bits aleady???
I am not planning on using them all the time, I would just like an all over tan to see what it actually looks like LOL
Lea :)

logically, the white bit should never catch up with the brown bits unless you can target specifically the white bits and not have any sun on the brown bits - still following?  In order to get an all over tan you might be easier to get a spray tan just concentrating on the white bits and blending them with the already brown bits.

I have no idea about the exact cancer risk from using sunbeds when fair skinned but my advice would be don't do it!  I have very fair skin and was repeatedly burned as a child.  i tend to go red then white again and although I am only in my early 30's I am already noticing crepey skin around the cleavage which is totally related to sun damage and I have horror nightmares of ending up like these old women with handbag skin but it happens by the time I am 40 - aaaaargh!!

I would like to know that too.I have white freckly skin,burn easy but eventually go a slight golden colour.My legs are always the colour of milk bottles always white,recently I had a professional spray tan which looked alright at night when I went out,but in the clear light of day still looked false and streaky lol.

ive got pale skin,freckles and dark blonde hair so when i go in the sun i go red then off white!

before the summer (and occasionly during) i go on sunbeds once a week for about 2months to get my skin use to the sun so that i dont burn,my doctor told me that its when your skin burns it gets risky with different cancers so i want to prevent me burning but still not be as white as a milk bottle.i still use fake tans for occasions but its nice to have abit of colour.
i think over time with going on the sunbeds your white bits will get browner and blend in with the darker bits well thats what happens with me

Thanks.
I actually find the bits that are exposed to the sun alot go brown, but the ones that arnt dont colour at all!!!
I dont want a spray tan as they wear off to quick :)
And yes, I know I wont get a al round tan, wth my dark bits, but if me white bits were at least off white, they wouldnt stand out so much LOL
Keep your experiences coming please :)
Lea :)

I forgot to say that I get prickly heat as well,red rashes on my neck and chest.I get so jealous when a girl goes by all tanned especially a nice pair of brown legs.I always seem to be the whitest on the beach when on hols.

Lea, I am a natural redhead.  I turn brown eventually in the sun but I find Dove Summer Glow body lotion great.  It is subtle, not orange, and you can put it on the strap marks to blend it in.  It is inexpensive too.  I use it on my legs twice or three times a week as they never tan as brown as my arms.

Oldilocks I bought some of that, but havnt had the guts to use it yet, as thought you needed to use it every day ad I just dont have the time!!!! So can you use it intermitantly?????
Will try it on my feet first, as I wear shorts and trainers at work so my feet are milky white!!!
Lea :)

Put it on after you shower.  The secret (Apparently!) is to exfoliate first.  That, to me, is giving my legs a good scrub with a coarse flannel!!  :)

LOL will try :) and I use a scrubber when I shower so exfoliating is sorted :D
Still would like to know about an sunbed tan tho :)
Lea :)

Just for the record, I said that I use it twice or three times a week.  I also said to put it on after you shower....thought I'd better mention that I do shower more than twice or three times a week!!!  :) :) :)

PML @ oldilocks,
you know, I didnt even think anything of that UNTIL you mentioned it :D :D :D :D :D
LMAO
Lea :)

Lea as you know my son is a body builder and I use Ambre Solaire, spray tan on him, it's very easy to use and now Hannah uses it and I've been known to have a spray!  Very reasonable price and won some award on Gok's programme but not sure what?

You can still burn on a sun bed so be careful. If you must do it, do it for only a few minutes at a time especially on the turbo beds.You must moisturise too. HTH

dunno how you'll find it with pale skin, i'm pale but brown like a nut in the sun HOWEVER have never seen any effect when i've been on the sunbeds. my friend who is irish and looks it (milky freckly skin, dark red hair, blue eyes etc) used to use them and browned well.

I stupidly as a teenager used the sun beds a few times, I am very fair. The burn you get from a sun bed is really bad. Fair people cannot use them any longer than they would be in the sun. ( infact less)

Now for the motherly bit :-D I was please to read recently that Scotland are leading the way in banning the use of them shortly to anyone under 18 as skin cancer has quadrupled affecting 9,000 Britons a year now and killing 1,800 a year !!!!!!!!

Blue :- thats why I was asking!!! Bareing in mind my expoed skin is exposed to the elements 3 hours t least a week, ad only put suncream on when I feel the sun as afraid I forget untl then (ye I know I am wrong!!!!)!!!! I think the rest of me is more prone to skin cancer!!! but a couple of sessions on the su bed every year isnt going to create more than working/being outside for 35+ hours ish a week wil do"!!
Lea :)

I agree and disagree because it is the little things like moles etc that are the things that seem to where the cancer starts, these are the areas most exposed on the sunbed rather than in the sun when you are 1/2 to 3/4 clothed.    IE back moles, leg moles.

I'm very fair, reddish blonde pale skin and freckles. I always use a min of Factor 20 when on holiday, and have been known as a child to burn through it. However I do love my sun holidays, so now I will usually have a course of sunbeds starting 3/4 weeks before I go away. Gradually building up starting with a couple of minutes every other day, to a max of 8 mins.

By doing this I find that I never burn on hols (still always use a high factor) and will usually come home with a golden tan. I'll never be dark like the blonde lady in the Ambre Solaire adds of the 80's but now I wouldn't want to be (as I teen I was desperate to tan). My brothers and sister all tan easily and go quite dark (mum's olive skinned with dark hair), but I inherited her mum's red head with a bit of my dad's blond thrown in for good measure.

There have been some very scary stories recently about sunbeds (quite rightly so), i recall one where a 14 year old boy had got 2nd degree burns on his face from using a sunbed upto 4 times a day. Apparently where he lived there was an unmanned shop where the beds were coin operated.

You sound like me, I am blondy red with fair skin. I do tan a little if I am very careful and to love my holidays in the sun although I am not a worshipper , I just like walking around in the nice weather.

My twin sister is dark hair and olive skinned.  Tans in 10 mins :-)     My mother is olive skinned, my father and grandfather very fair.

A friend of mine out of blue noticed an old looking mole on her leg and went straight to the doc, it was cancerous but luckily she had noticed it in good time.  She was fair skinned and said that she rarely sunbathed and had only used a sunbed once, but did like to try and get brown legs.  Apparently the most common place that cancerous melanomos (sp) form for women in on their legs and for men on their backs. 

I can live without an all over tan but I cannot live with milk bottle blotchey legs so it's fake tan for me, I also find that Dove gradual tanner is really good and prefer it to Johnsons (primarily cos it smells better). 

I am a typical blonde hair, fair skinned girl myself.
Started using sun beds a few years ago to get a nice tan for my sisters wedding. I used a lie down sunbed and started off with 8 minutes going up as my skin got used to it.
Its important to start off in small doses, but you need to find out the stregth of the sunbed before you use it. Some are alot stronger than others and 5 minutes on one will just make you go a bit red whereas on another sunbed 5 minutes could burn you!
There is special cream called tan accelarator to use on the very white areas (usually legs) that take ages to tan.
I have used several sunbeds since and found the lie down type the best. its relaxing, warm and comfortable and has better results. Good lie down beds will have options to turn the face area down low so you dont catch it as much, music, and aromatherapy sprays to cool you down and soothe you.
Stand up sunbeds arent as effective (IMO) and not as pleasurable. They always say use the goggles, but i just make sure my eyes are closed and i normally fall asleep.
I know the dangers of it but theres nothing nicer than having a tan and the bottle stuff just doesnt have the same effect. Just dont get addicted like i did!!!and be prepared to feel a little enclosed-it can feel claustrophobic until you get used to it.Shop around as many salons do a course for a reduced rate & space out the sessions.
Good luck

One of my friends has just had a cancerous mole removed from her neck, it's always been there and is(was) quite large and dark. She does love the sun and does go on hols where the sun is deemed to be strongest. However the consultants couldn't state categorically that this cancer was caused by the sun, so she has decided that she will still go to her favourite places, but has agreed to wear a high factor and keep out of it between 11 and 3.

As well as freckly I am also quite moley, and am seriously considering forking out a couple of hundred quid to go to a mole clinic and get a head to toe check up.

on the fake debate - I'm currently using nivea sun stuff, although the smell of it isn't good, even though it clearly states New improved fragrance. Despite a week in Turkey recently - my legs are so white I'm sure they repel the suns rays!! So chemical assistance was essential.

A good freind of mine has Skin cancer. ( I will need to check the particular one as off top of my head I can't rememeber the name)  The type she has can't be cured. She is nearly 50 now but for the  20 years worshipped the sun and sun beds. She had to go for painful treatment twice a year after her treatment the moles all blister and it takes a week or so to settle back down.  Is quite badly scarred now from the treatment.

I went on a sun bed before I got married (20 years ago :o ), I am very fair skinned.  I did go brown on the sun bed but it didn't seem to last very long but the worst thing was my bum and top of my legs burned - the bits that had never seen sunlight ;) and I couldn't sit down for a week!

Jax :)

I have no problems with sensible adults making an informed choice to use a sunbed, but they never do.

People always seem to have the 'it won't happen to me' mentality. From this thread, it seems even those who have already had skin cancer. I expect they will wantt he NHS to pick up the bill if they get cancer again after reapeated sunbed use or sun exposure.

Using a sunbed ONCE increases the risk of skin cancer. No-one knows how much because it is impossible to rule out other factors. I like to have a tan, but never goout with at least factor 15 on my face, even in winter. When on holiday I never wear less than factor 25, and stay in the shade when possible. Whether you think looking pale looks good or not, skin cancer looks a lot worse. As does wrinkly skin when you age early.

There are very, very good fake tanning products availabe and no need to risk your life.

jackson thats a bit harsh, they did not state that they intend to go on sunbeds again so where did you get that from?

> I expect they will wantt he NHS to pick up the bill if they get cancer again after reapeated sunbed use or sun exposure.
>

well i suppose after paying into it... i do take your point though, repeated high risk behaviour should perhaps not be rewarded (not the right word but not sure how to put it). however those mentioned seem to want to be sensible about the sun now so perhaps a bit strong...

Tadsy posted:

One of my friends has just had a cancerous mole removed from her neck, it's always been there and is(was) quite large and dark. She does love the sun and does go on hols where the sun is deemed to be strongest. However the consultants couldn't state categorically that this cancer was caused by the sun, so she has decided that she will still go to her favourite places, but has agreed to wear a high factor and keep out of it between 11 and 3.

Consultants can never state the exact cause of skin cancer. That doesn't mean they don't have a good idea.

It's none of my business what others do, other, I suppose that some are draining NHS resources due to their 'high risk' behaviour. It does make me very, very corss though when I hear, I know the risks, but... 'I 've only had a few'  'it stops me burning on holiday' etc etc. ANY sunbed use or sun exposure is a risk. When will people stop kidding themselves.

I for one am not kidding myself! I know there is a risk with using sunbeds. I also know my aunty died of cancer having lived a healthy life, never smoked and was 59. At the end of the day if you are going to get it you're going to get it. On the other side i have a grandad that fought in a war, smokes 20 a day and is still around well into his 80's.
When your time is up it is up so i live each day as i want.
I am not saying others should, this is my philosophy on life and if i died tomorrow my family can be happy i've been reckless and enjoyed myself and had a bl**dy good time with no regrets and lots of fun :-)

Agree with a future writer I use a sun tan moisturiser then bear all, i am lucky to be dark skin & dark hair. My OH is a white blonde with fair skin so i do him with sun factor 30 and he has had sun bed treatment for a few months before we went off to Mauritus. He tanned nicely and has necer really gone back to being as milky white as he was.
I am lucky I tan easily and have never burnt but I do buy a good tanning lotion, I also have two sons one golden brown could use anything and one dark haired with white, white skin to tans slowly. I just do a pre tan all over on him, then factor 20ish, 15 and 10. OH has factor 30,20 then 15 and goes no lower. Ive do 15, 10 and anything apart from Olive oil.
I think its true all things in moderation. Moles are dangerous if they are under the skin, those above or on the skin or (growing a hair) are ok if you can cover them with the end of a pencil. But if you have moles do not use a sun bed and get a doctor to advise before you do anything. My aunt had 1 trip to spain, skin cancer and dead at 43!! be warned.

Whistler, are you saying you use factor 10 on your child on holiday?

I just can't understad why people place such importance on a suntan.

He's 21

Can't he do his own suntan cream then? LOL

:) :) @ Jackson.  That made me chuckle!

I have to admit that about 10 / 15 years ago I was completely hooked on sunbeds.  Used to use them all the time just to make me look alive.  I've not used a sunbed now in quite a long time as I feel that the risks are just too high.  I do, however, fake tan constantly.  I guess everyone knows the risks, it's just up to them whether they choose to act on them or not.

>I just can't understand why people place such importance on a suntan.

Perception that a glowing tan is symbolic of attractiveness and health and considered desirable in a population who want to feel good.  

Most likely initially set in place by the media and glossy magazines, and then spread from person to person etc, etc and deemed as desirable.   Pity really, because there is nothing wrong with being pale or any colour for that matter; it's the price we pay for attempts at perfection in Western culture IMO.  :-P :-D 

I too fell prey to sun-beds and suntans years and years ago when I was young and silly; never bother now, stay out of the sun as I can't stand heat.