Does anyone use sunbed ?

OP, I am naturally very pale and completely incapable of getting a natural tan. I don't particularly like my skin colour and feel much happier when I'm a bit darker so understand how you feel.

Having said that, please give fake tan another go. I use the St Tropez three hour mousse for the vast majority of the year to get a lovely natural looking glow without any health risks. No one ever guesses it's fake tan unless I've been very sloppy with the application! For a budget option Superdrug solait three hour dark mousse is quite similar (although not as long lasting and slightly more orange). You can honestly get the same effect without sunbeds and still feel comfortable looks wise.

Hi Op, I think it’s great that you’ve been able to give up sunbeds during pregnancy - well done! An overriding desire to protect your baby has helped you to stop. Hopefully when the baby arrives you will be able to transfer that desire to protect your baby by including your own health.

I too knew someone who died from melanoma in her 30s. It’s such a horrible cancer and my friend was dead within 6 months of finding a dodgy mole. She had two children under 4 at the time and it was heartbreaking to watch. The link between sunbeds and Melanoma is proven. Please please remember this when your baby is born. Hope that will be enough for you to seek other methods of tanning. I’d love sunbeds to be banned (with the exception of medical use).

Good luck!

I don't know if this helps or not but I do some modelling and photographers are adamant I'm not to tan 
Not hard as I'm pale blue
Used to be really self conscious about it but now I get booked specifically for my pale skin and yes, I have white legs and I really don't care any more
I've got a photo and my skin honestly looks amazing in it despite the lack of tan! I was going to post it and chickened out

@mrswishywashy1 have you ever tried narrow band uvb treatment. Like a medical sunbed but with less risk. I’ve had great results from it and you get a bit of a tan as well.

Narrowband uvb is what a medical dumbed is. 311nm. Seriously. Do not self medicate people.

*sunbed

What you would be getting non-medically is a broader spectrum, so more 'wasted' clinically non-effective UV exposure. Hence more risky exposure. Saying it is less risky than a medical sunbed is completely incorrect. I know my stuff on this. Believe me.

Don't you have a child to think about now? Or you just going to keep frying your skin until you develop cancer?

My mum has had skin cancer 3 times, the consultant said it’s directly linked to her sunbed use, she’d use it 3 times a week religiously. Since her cancer scares she hasn’t used them as much. Due to this I haven’t ever been on one (that and watching final destination, scared the shit out of me) sadly people die from cancer everyday, but stopping sunbeds would surely lower your risk. I’m a complete hypocrite though as I’m a smoker, giving up tomorrow! Good luck

I have skin cancer on my face - not linked to sunbed use but sun exposure, I'm having treatment at the moment and have a large open wound the size of my palm covering my nose and one cheek. I've watched my grown up kids cry this week because of my disfigured face, it could be you in 20 yrs time op.

Waterlego

Harrowing

'I'm very sorry about your dad it's awful and I know now I won't be risking it but I still won't be judging other people if they choose too.'

I will

My friend died from melanoma before she was thirty. It was utterly tragic.

You’re talking as if you’re a passive participant in your sun bed use op. You are in control of this.

I used them a bit when I was younger, gave them up when I read up on the melanoma risk. They also age your skin massively.

Saying “oh well it’s legal so it can’t be that bad” is just burying your head in the sand.

I use them. I’m 28 and get ID for Christmas crackers so they haven’t aged me. I’m of Mediterranean descent so dark anyway

However I would be happy to try fake tan if someone can recommend a good one? I mean like a proper good one, because I’m yet to find one that doesn’t make people look like they’ve rubbed a wotsit on their inner arm

I use them. I’m 28 and get ID for Christmas crackers so they haven’t aged me.

You just can’t see it yet.
You also can’t see potentially cancerous changes until you’ve got melanoma.

I'm genuinely shocked, thought sunbeds were a thing of the past?

I’m also shocked. Genuinely really surprised to see so many people still like them/use them. But yeah, I still see tanning ‘shops’ around so I suppose it stands to reason someone must be using them!

Thank you Martha.

Thanks OP. Glad you are not going to use them anymore. I think that’s a wise decision.

Loads of people use them where I live; some shops are so busy they employ staff specifically as ‘bed cleaners’ just to wipe down between customers. I used to use them 2-3 times a week and did so for a couple of weeks before my wedding last year. Up to each individual whether they want to or not. I no longer go because: my DH doesn’t like it (he’s had cancer twice, though not skin-related), I cant be arsed getting dressed/undressed more than once a day, the expense. The sad fact is, personally I’m so bloody pale I look awful ‘au naturel’. I’ve had spray tans/fake tans in salons - all ended up on sheets/towels/clothes, one gave me such bad eczema that I had to use steroid cream and other prescription stuff for months to get rid of it, they all go streaky/uneven around ankles/wrists/knees, no matter the brand/expense and if you’re as pale as I am look like you have rolled in Bisto! I’ve tried the ‘gradual self tans’ - either no effect at all or a couple of streaks here and there, shower ones (ditto). I gave up altogether and went on holiday my pale self, no one ran off screaming but I wanted to cry when I saw some of the bronzed beauties there.

Ah damnit I thought you were giving me fake tan suggestions then!

SPF everyday even in winter

I use the st tropez express tan. I'd say I'm a medium honey colour. I can get very very pale indeed. A bottle lasts a long time, as in a couple of months and I apply on average twice weekly so the tan stays constant.

No streaks and easy to apply. I tend to apply in the morning and shower off in the evening, it doesn't seem to get darker the longer you leave it on. Takes about five mins to apply all over and I'd say it needs doing a couple of times a week. I just buy a cheap tub of latex gloves from amazon to apply it.

For the lady who said she's 28 and no skin impact yet. I believe you. Wait till your forties though. You'll be wondering just why you're the wrinkliest and oldest looking of your friends by far.

There is always a price to pay, with sunbeds it's just not immediate. But pay it You will. 😔

www.amazon.co.uk/St-Tropez-Express-Bronzing-Mousse-200ml/dp/B00KSS3MJ0/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?keywords=st%20tropez%201%20hour%20tan&ie=UTF8&qid=1539719590&sr=8-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

shelly0 My Perfect Eyes is brilliant for a temporary fix (available in most chemists) not sure if they do other products. Long term, it’s stay out of the sun.

Hi OP, I've never been on a sunbed but having been to over ten years' worth of AA meetings, I can see that it's perfectly possibly to form an addiction to something that other people find hard to believe. Speaking personally, the addiction I find hardest to understand is gambling, but I'm in no doubt that it exists.

If you can find a decent fake tan, that's the ideal. I'm sure that google would throw up a load of the best tried and tested ones. Or as a PP said, a spray tan - or some beauty places do a skin scrub plus fake tan plus moisturise. Good luck and well done for keeping off it while you're pregnant.