"Girls who have too much of a tan just look fake, that is a major put off for me. A natural holiday tan looks nice but not to the extent that some people take it to."
Tanning risks exposed by skin cancer rise
Related websites
More JMU Journalism stories
Special report by Becky Friar & Hugh O'Connell
The tanned look appeals to some in the city, but not a majority; YouTube: Skin cancer awareness video
The Government is seeking to crack down on the use of sunbeds by young people as new statistics paint a shocking picture of Liverpool's tanning culture.
The latest figures released by Cancer
Research UK show that half of all girls
in Liverpool aged 15-17 regularly use
sunbeds.
There are now over 300 tanning salons in the city of Liverpool alone and Merseyside has the highest concentration of tanning salons in the entire country. Whether we like it or not, some girls in the city have gained an unwelcome reputation as being the most 'orange' in the nation.
Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts, a Liverpool native, recently filmed a documentary on the dangers of tanning and revealed: "I spoke to one 11-year-old girl who was able to go into an unsupervised tanning salon and basically lie there and burn."
Previous statistics from Cancer Research point to a staggering 94% rise in cases of skin cancer in Liverpool over a six-year period, compared to a national average rise of 46%. There has also been a dramatic increase in treatment for Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
These alarming reports have prompted the Government to attempt to raise the legal age of sunbed use from 16 to 18 years' old.
JMU Journalism approached more than 20 tanning salons
in the city for their reaction to the statistics and the proposed
legislation change, but all of them were either unavailable or
refused to comment. Sunbed Association spokeswoman,
Kathy Banks, would not comment on the skin cancer
statistics, though she said: “We are not opposed to the ban
[on under-18s].”
To test public opinion on tanning, JMU Journalism went out into
Liverpool this week to conduct a street survey, asking almost
300 people (291) whether they prefer tanned or natural-looking
skin. The results were fairly evenly split, with a majority of 52%
preferring natural, compared to 48% who favour the tanned look.
When broken down between the sexes, it emerged that a
majority of women we asked prefer tanned-looking skin (57%)
rather than natural (43%). However, among the males we spoke
to, the preference was much more in favour of natural (69%) than
tanned (31%).
We then asked all those surveyed whether the 94% rise in
Liverpool's skin cancer cases in recent years came as a
surprise. Around 48% said 'yes', while 52% responded that they
were not surprised.
More than 50 MPs, including several from Merseyside, are backing the ban on children using sunbeds and Parliament could fast-track the legislation to ensure it is in place ahead of the next General Election.
The private member's bill is being put forward by MP Julie Morgan, who said it would also enable campaigns for health warnings in salons and bans on advertising that suggests a tan is healthy.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham, originally from Liverpool, has said: "The scientific evidence is clear – sunbeds increase your risk of getting skin cancer.
"It is far too easy for young people to use sunbeds and I am determined to take action to protect them. I fully support this Bill which will force tanning salons to ban access for people under 18 years' old.”
Girls Aloud star Roberts added: "Actually, going into the streets of Liverpool and interviewing the young girls who are obsessed with having a tan and feeling like they had to be brown to be seen as attractive, that whole mentality that they had gathered, was just a bigger problem than I ever thought it was."
Additional reporting by: Kate Allen; Jessica Hutton; Katherine Hope; Stephanie Niciu; Sophie Booth;
Erin McLoughlin; Camilla Cole; Anna Malone; Aminata Konate; Dannika Burnell; Sophie Grundy;
Angela Brooks; Katie Broadhurst; Niamh Spence; Helen Turner & Brandon Cross.
Liverpudlians on the city's tanning obsession
Comments
-
(Posted on 2010-01-25 19:12:00 by )
-
"Although I think that having a tan can look nice, it is not worth the risk of skin cancer at all. Most people like to have a tan to try and impress someone, but my boyfriend prefers the natural look."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 19:12:00 by ) -
"It doesn't surprise me. There is a pressure to use sunbeds to fit in."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:42:00 by ) -
"There are more people than ever going abroad and on sunbeds, that's probably why."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:41:00 by ) -
"Beauty is what shines out of a person; pigmentation and skin shading has no bearing on what is reflected to the world. Tanning is done for the wrong reasons."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:40:00 by ) -
"I don't live in Spain, so it's not normal."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:39:00 by ) -
"Having a bit of colour makes people look healthier."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:39:00 by ) -
"Au natural. I don't like all the young girls looking so tanned when it's snowing outside!"
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:33:00 by ) -
"Natural. When I'm even older I don't want to be as wrinkly as my mum."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:33:00 by ) -
"Easy Jet orange, ha! You can't beat abit of fake tan!"
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:32:00 by ) -
"I prefer tanned... the more the better!"
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:31:00 by ) -
"I like tanned skin on myself, but only fake tan or holiday tan... not orange! I'm not a sunbed fan."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:28:00 by ) -
âI use sunbeds the odd time to get rid of my spots. The statistics shock me but the thing is you never really think it will happen to you.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:26:00 by ) -
"It's just nicer than being pale, but that's what I'm scared of. I knew it would probably bring skin issues but I never thought about a 94% increase in skin cancer. It makes you think twice, to be honest."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:19:00 by ) -
âI tan because it makes me feel more confident. I think if you get the balance right and donât just rely on sunbeds for a tan, then you canât do too much damage.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:18:00 by ) -
âThat [skin cancer statistic] doesnât surprise me at all... there is a sunbed shop on every corner."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 16:14:00 by ) -
"I look like Casper the Ghost without a tan!"
(Posted on 2010-01-25 12:10:00 by ) -
"I'm not suprised there's so many getting skin cancer. They're always on them sunbeds now aren't they? It's all about looking attractive... they don't care about anything else."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 12:09:00 by ) -
"If you want an honest opinion, I think lads are more attracted to girls with a tan, and I'm more confident with one myself."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 12:08:00 by ) -
"The smell of false tan knocks me sick."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 12:08:00 by ) -
"I think a tan makes you look healthier."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 12:07:00 by ) -
"Depends on the person but some look nice with a tan, I think."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 12:07:00 by ) -
"Personally, I look ill if I've got no tan on or if I haven't been on the beds."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 12:06:00 by ) -
âI donât like a lot of make-up and sunbeds shouldnât be used. The figures don't surprise me in the least; people use sunbeds all year round.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:56:00 by ) -
âEveryone would rather have tanned skin.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:55:00 by ) -
âPeople look fluorescent. Neon orange glow is not an attractive look.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:54:00 by ) -
âOrange isnât natural. Skin is really leathery if they use a tanning bed. It really ages you.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:54:00 by ) -
"If you can pull off natural then go for it but I prefer a tan because it makes me feel more confident but on other people I think natural is nicer. Itâs a shocking increase but if you walk through Liverpool you can see why... everyone is orange!"
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:51:00 by ) -
"The increase doesn't surprise me but it shocks me. On one hand it's an astonishing rise in skin cancer but in the society we live in, everybody is body conscious. Some feel that to have pale skin is something to hide and so they do this by darkening their skin on sunbeds."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:51:00 by ) -
"I am surprised at the increase but it is believable. The amount of sunbeds in Liverpool in unbelievable, there is one on every street and they are cheap."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:50:00 by ) -
"Fake tan always makes people look like they have been tangoed. Take the likes of Katie Price who is permanently tanned and orange, young girls look up to her as a role model and want to look like her. The message is that if you are tanned you are more attractive."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:50:00 by ) -
"Brunette and pale is the new blonde and tanned."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:49:00 by ) -
âIâm not surprised by the skin cancer percentage because there are loads of sunbed shops in Liverpool and girls just jump on the tanning bandwagon and itâs like a competition to see who looks the best with a tan. Itâs becoming a fashion which is awful because its potentially damaging to their health.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:47:00 by ) -
âAlthough tanned and natural skin tones are just as attractive as each other, some people suit a tan more than others, but thereâs a fine line between tanned and tangerine.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:46:00 by ) -
âThe skin cancer figure does surprise me as I thought we were educating people to realise the dangers of the use of sunbeds. I also think a lot of women aspire to be like female celebrities as they tend to be tanned and women like to copy them.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:45:00 by ) -
âNo, I am not surprised because even men go on the sunbeds and everyone I know goes on the beds.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:42:00 by ) -
âNatural looks authentic and you can see someone for what they actually are. We live in England, so I donât want to see dodgy tans, that are totally fake and over the top.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:40:00 by ) -
âFake tanning products are bad for the skin. It looks stupid when itâs forced and blatantly fake. It looks nice when you go on holiday because itâs natural.â
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:40:00 by ) -
"I'm not suprised [by the statistics]. You just need to look at the girls in Concert Square on a Saturday night to understand why it's so high."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:39:00 by ) -
"People should just accept themselves and stop trying to change everything. You are what you are."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:38:00 by ) -
"I'm not suprised by that [skin cancer statistics] at all, Liverpool is a very tanned place. Although it's higher than what I would have expected it to be.
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:36:00 by ) -
"That's just what the style is in Liverpool."
(Posted on 2010-01-25 11:36:00 by ) -
âI was 14 when I started using them but when I think about it I was too young... that's why I stopped using them.â
(Posted on 2010-01-23 23:29:00 by ) -
âI don't think a change in law would make a difference, people are always going to do what they want to do.â
(Posted on 2010-01-23 23:29:00 by ) -
âWomen my age who use sunbeds look about 20 years older then they are. They should ban them all together.â
(Posted on 2010-01-23 23:28:00 by ) -
âThe older girls are realising the dangers but it's the young ones that want a tan and are using them. It makes them think they look better.â
(Posted on 2010-01-23 23:24:00 by ) -
"I use sunbeds about three times a week. The health risks are extremely clear and while they do worry me, they're easy to forget. In all honesty I think the change in law would stop me. I wouldn't think it would be worth the hassle to hunt down other ways to make myself brown. I think I'd try and find another method like fake tan."
(Posted on 2010-01-23 16:21:00 by )
Comments closed
The best products at the best prices!
More from JMU Journalism
LSS student competition
Find this secret picture hidden in a link on this website and win a FREE Cadbury's Creme Egg
John Moores University links
The JMU Journalism news team presents a selection of comments gathered on the streets of Liverpool during our exclusive 'tanned or natural' poll (January 19th to 25th, 2010):