Real Life Story

Everyone should know by now that sun-bathing and using sunbeds can severely damage your skin later in life. Possible consequences include wrinkles, sun spots, and dry, leathery skin. Along with these unfortunate-looking after effects, you also significantly increase your risk for developing skin cancer. But that doesn’t mean you’re destined to live your life with pasty, white skin.

If you can’t bear to show your face (and other body parts) in public without a beachy, sun-kissed glow, consider trying a spray tan.

Don’t just take my word for it!

Here is a real life story from one of my clients, and we both hope that you read this and understand just how fragile your body is and what can happen. Sarah MacRae, 38

Sarah lifted the Miss Scotland crown in 1993 and admits the nature of her job saw her spend years building up a tan using sunbed’s and taking sunshine holidays abroad. But her constant tanning left her with an allergic reaction and painful psoriasis. And she ended up with pigmentation scars on her body after using the beds for up to half an hour a night.

Sarah, who runs Zara Promotions, now lives in the Black Isle in the Highlands and says she would advise young girls and aspiring models to steer clear of sunbed’s and use fake tans instead.

Sarah said: "I was under a lot of pressure with the modelling, going to Miss UK and being Miss Scotland. The clothes I was wearing were skimpy and the dresses were strappy and revealing. Before I went in for the Miss Scotland competition, I was going on the sunbed every night. I even hired one at home. I wanted to be as dark as possible for the swimsuit section of the competition. I would work out every night at home, and then I would be on the sunbed for half an hour.

If I didn't get my sunbed, it would stress me out. I was worried the tan was going to go and I would be pale. I just thought I looked better with a tan, it can make you feel and look slimmer. If I had been on holiday, I had to then go on the beds when I came home to keep my tan up. I used to go for sunbeds before I went on holiday, too."

But Sarah says her addiction came to ahead when she realised she was damaging her skin and she began to use fake tan instead. "Im just glad that I found Jacqui to take the hassle out of doing it myself and its perfect everytime!

She also said: "I have been lucky that I haven't really developed wrinkles. I have friends who have had sun damage to their chest area and have had to have collagen treatments to get rid of wrinkles. Even when I go abroad, which I do a lot, I am now very careful and it's not so important to me to be dark. Now if I am going on holiday, I will go for a spray tan instead of hitting the sunbeds. It means you are just as brown but without the risks. I know lots of models and we all use fake tans instead of sunbeds.

I would say to youngsters to fake it. You can go and have a screening done which shows the damage to your skin from the sun and it can show you how your skin will look in 20 years time - and it's terrifying. If I had a model who looked as though she was using sunbeds excessively, I would have a word with her and advise her to stop. The implications for later in life are too great. If I'm going on holiday I'll get a spray tan instead. You can be just as brown but without the risks."

Still want to use the Sunbed?