By Danielle Kate Wroe

Copyright manchestereveningnews

A woman has shared her addiction to tanning, which has become so severe that she feels she “physically has to go on” the sunbed. Megan Blain, 19, began using fake tan products at the age of 14 because she felt like the “odd one out” and wanted to “fit in”. However, she found the products “smelt horrible” and left a “patchy” effect on her skin. Moreover, her mum was tired of having to clean the stains on her bedsheets. When her mum brought out her sunbed from the garage for her to try, it opened up a whole new world. She found it required less effort than applying fake tan – but she was unaware of the potential serious risks involved. Megan, who shares content on TikTok under the handle @meganblainxo, confessed that she’s been using sunbeds for nearly four years now, stating: ” It’s past the point of me going on the sunbed to get tanned, just feel like I physically have to go on.” She acknowledged that she is now aware of the dangers associated with sunbed use, but it “doesn’t scare” her. Megan admitted: “The fact that it doesn’t scare me is quite concerning itself. I know the risks of the tanners and sunbeds, and know I shouldn’t be using them, and know I haven’t ever been for a check up [of her skin], which scares me a bit. “But the thought of skin cancer problems I might have in the future is no concern, and that’s not because I’m ignorant. It scares me more the fact that I’m not scared and don’t care. “I know I’ll have problems in the future; I’ve done half an hour every day for a year, no word of a lie”. She also confessed to having “moles” and “dodgy patches” on her skin – but was “too scared” to seek medical advice. Megan has attempted to quit tanning in the past and stopped using tanning injections for a while, but she admitted that giving up made her feel “sick.” There was a time when she “wouldn’t leave the house” if she didn’t “look tanned enough”. Over time, sunbed use has also dented her confidence as it has caused premature signs of ageing. Megan described her skin as “looking dull but dark” and she’s “started to get wrinkles” on her arms and she’s “covered in loads of moles”. “I didn’t attend my prom because I didn’t feel dark enough,” she revealed. Megan did admit that while she believes “everybody looks better tanned, it’s not worth the risks and never feeling dark enough”. Regrettably, she felt like her tanning addiction cost her friendships, recalling a time when she was “so dark” from sunbeds and tanning injections that her friends wouldn’t want to be seen with her. However, Megan shared a glimmer of hope: “I’m slowly learning to be comfortable in my own skin,” expressing her desire not to let it dominate her life any longer. The NHS has revealed that using a sunbed just once before the age of 35 can significantly heighten your risk of melanoma. The British Association of Dermatologists strongly advises against the use of sunbeds or sunlamps. Sunbeds and lamps can pose a greater danger than natural sunlight as they use a concentrated source of UV radiation. Health risks associated with sunbeds and other UV tanning equipment include: skin cancer, premature skin ageing, sunburnt skin, and eye irritation. It’s illegal for individuals under 18 to use sunbeds, including in tanning salons, beauty salons, leisure centres, gyms, and hotels. Cancer Research UK suggests that if you desire a tan, applying fake tan from a bottle or getting a spray tan is safer than using a sunbed or sunbathing. There’s no such thing as safe UV tanning. UV radiation can harm the DNA in your skin cells, potentially leading to skin cancer, including melanoma, which is the most severe type of skin cancer. The damage caused by UV rays isn’t always visible, as it can accumulate slowly over time. However, a tan is a response to skin cells that have been exposed to excessive UV radiation. They also highlight that any vitamin D you might gain through using a sunbed is outweighed by the harms of using sunbeds. A bit of sun can assist our bodies in producing the vitamin D it requires, but there’s no need to sunbathe or use a sunbed to obtain vitamin D.