Sunbed addict uses them for 20 minutes a time despite knowing risk
'I think if it is used in moderation, it should be fine,' she said.
A tanning addict goes on sunbeds for 20 minutes up to three times a week despite knowing they can cause skin cancer.
Katie Kent, 21, says it feels amazing to have a tan all year round and it gives her a huge confidence boost.
The care assistant, from Cheshire, who has naturally fair skin, said: ‘People do ask me if I worry about the damaging effects and skin cancer and I know it can cause that.
‘But so can sitting in the natural sunlight. I think if it is used in moderation, it should be fine.
‘It makes me feel good about myself and my self-confidence and self-esteem are much higher when I feel better about myself.’
Ms Kent said using sunbeds became ‘addictive’ when her tan built up, and she admitted feeling ‘pressure’ to have a nice tan and look a certain way.
She added: ‘I can’t imagine myself not using sunbeds in the future, because it is also so much easier than using fake tan.’
The NHS states sunbeds increase your risk of developing both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers due to the ultraviolet (UV) rays they give out.
Doctors also warn that people who are frequently exposed to UV rays before the age of 25 are at greater risk of developing cancer later in life.
Sisters Sarah Burnside and Rhianne Smith, from Darlington, County Durham, issued a warning about sunbeds in 2020 after they were both diagnosed with skin cancer at the same time.
They were among the more than 100,000 cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the UK every year.
The sisters used sunbeds before and after their annual summer holidays, wrongly believing it would protect their skin from the heat when they were abroad.
Sarah got the dreaded diagnosis after finding two suspicious looking moles on her foot and leg. After learning of her sister’s diagnosis, Rhianne got the moles on her face checked and she was also diagnosed with melanoma.
‘A tan isn’t worth it,’ Sarah said. ‘It isn’t worth skin damage, cancer, or wrinkles. You can get a tan from a bottle.’
There have been calls for sunbeds – dubbed ‘death machines’ by one MP – to be banned in the UK after the World Health Organization classed them as carcinogenic.
Brazil became the first country in the world to ban them in 2009. They were followed suit by Australia six years later in 2015.
Cancer Research have warned: ‘Sunbeds give out harmful ultraviolet rays that damage your skin and can make it look wrinkled, older or leathery.
‘The UV rays from sunbeds can also damage the DNA in your skin cells, and over time this damage can build up to cause skin cancer.
‘One study found that the average skin cancer risk from sunbeds can be more than double that of spending the same length of time in the Mediterranean midday summer sun.’
Who should not use sunbeds?
Do not use UV tanning equipment if you:
- have fair, sensitive skin that burns easily or tans slowly or poorly
- have a history of sunburn, particularly in childhood
- have lots of freckles or red hair
- have lots of moles
- are taking medicines or using creams that make your skin sensitive to sunlight
- have a medical condition made worse by sunlight, such as vitiligo, a long-term skin condition caused by the lack of a chemical called melanin in the skin
- have had skin cancer or someone in your family has had it
- already have badly sun-damaged skin
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