THE DANGERS OF SUNTANNING

"Tans are not always fun and good - there are some dangers. Be careful of:

1. Moisturiser - don't use too much moisturiser or else you'll be slipping and sliding around whenever you move. I once put on so much moisturiser I was as slippery as a bar of soap and couldn't stand still without falling over. Honestly.
   
   
2. Fake tan overload - don't use too much of this - it can ruin the colours of your clothes, especially clothes that colour stain easily like lycra or spandex! Fake tan can also make glitter on your clothes drop out.
   
   
3. Lizards. Yep. When you are lounging around in the sun you are just like a reptile - that's what reptiles do to keep warm. Be careful or else a lizard might think you are a fellow reptile basking in the sun and they will sit beside you or try to communicate with you. Also, if you are lounging like a lizard in the sun you may find yourself surrounded by nature film crews working on documentaries.
   
   
4. An uneven tan - make sure your tan is even. Otherwise, if different parts of your body have different levels of tan you may be distracted by this tricky situation and always looking at yourself comparing your tan. This can be dangerous - you may be staring at your biceps whilst you are driving, jogging or eating and could easily cause an accident.

Antonia has done some research for Mr. Dorsey on the effects of suntanning, that thing that humans do to make their skin to look ‘good’. Here's what she found...

• Don’t spend too much time unprotected outside between 10am-4pm. That is when the sun is at it’s strongest and there is even harmful reflective light in the shade.
• Keep babies who are younger than 6 months old out of the direct sun
• Kiddies who are over the age of 6 months, older children, teenagers and adults should always wear SPF 15 and over broad spectrum sunscreen
• Sunscreen should be applied at least 20 minutes before you go out in to the sun to give it a chance to soak in to the skin. It sjhould be re-applied every 3 to 4 hours. Don’t forget your lips, ears, hands and feet too!
• Remember that white clothes (especially if they get wet) transmit nearly the same amount of light as bare skin! Wear dark clothes as much as you can.
• The sun’s rays can pass through clouds so even on a yukky day 80% of these rays will get through!
• The suns rays reflect off sand and snow, so always wear some kind of SPF moisturiser or sunscreen.
• Remember, tanning beds and booths are not really safe either as they emenate UVA radiation.
• Don’t forget that even olive or dark skin can still burn.