To ask doctors here to help me understand why NHS aren't worried about fake tan use?

[itsobvious]

I'm a regular fake tanner but have been doing my own research recently and see that it's well recognised through peer reviewed studies that DHA treated skin (the active ingredient in fake tan) is far far higher in free radicals than untreated skin,

If this makes my skin a little older I can live with that! And I'd love to carry on using my tan as the NHS says I can.

But - surely a higher level of oxidative stress is dangerous, particularly during pregnancy? Is it ok because the free radicals only "get" the adjacent cells and thus can only affect the mother's skin and nothing else?

My DS has a birth defect linked with oxidative stress caused by maternal diabetes (which I don't have) and although I don't think I used tan as much then, I still did. I don't want to be alarmist but this has made me pause to think as I followed all advice to the letter.

I hope a dermatologist or toxicologist will be along with a reassuring explanation soon but I'd really like to know.

And yes, antioxidant systems within cells are up and down regulated according to need as they take energy to generate. Interestingly, there was a study the other year that showed that just after a person consumed a test substance rich in antioxidants (can't remember if it was a supplement or a smoothie made from fruit and veg) the body seems to respond by producing a burst of ROS. It's a fine balance, and they are not all bad. The immune system uses ROS to kill pathogens and I believe there has been some suggestion they might be involved in intracellular signaling.

MrsHardBroom- you sound very knowledgeable👍. Can I ask - do you think it’s safe to have an occasional spray tan eg every few months?

OP everything gives you cancer - microwaves, mobile phones, makeup, pectides, fluoride in toothpaste

Fake tan is not THAT toxic?! There are cosmetics like Retin A, things like Botox that aren’t allowed during pregnancy. If fake tan wasn’t safe to use when pregnant it would be labelled as such as other products are! It’s not ideal to use just like makeup, hairspray, perfume isn’t either!

I hope a dermatologist or toxicologist will be along with a reassuring explanation soon but I'd really like to know

There’s a dermatologist on YouTube called Dr Dray who seems to think it’s safe as dha only effects the top layer of the sun.

@pearplum I wouldn't be put off by this particular data, I can't see any evidence that fake tan is really 'unsafe'. There are potential risks to a lot of things but you just have to weigh them up against what you see as benefits. A natural tan, however, is demonstrably 'unsafe'.