As we are all becoming more aware these days of the risks when using sunbeds and the damaging effects they can have, self-tanning products have become increasingly popular. With so many different types of fake tan on the market, sales in safe self-tanning products have boomed. In the 20th century, sun worshipping usually meant one thing -pale skinned people getting a tan. In the 21st century it seems everyone wants the perfect fake tan, man, woman and even child.

I have seen a huge increase over the past 10 years of people going to extraordinary lengths to try and achieve the ultimate tan and I'm often asked if I would recommend any quick fixes including tanning injections, implants, nasal sprays and tanning tablets.

My recommendation has always been to avoid these methods of self-tanning and stick to mousses, sprays and liquids. They generally last for 4-5 days and bronzing lotions more than a week. A professional spray can mimic a real tan with a layered tan that fades evenly. The trick to the perfect tan is exfoliation and moisturising the dry areas to make sure the hands, wrists and feet look perfect. The quality of fake tan has improved since the bad old days and some great new products are available on the high street.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation, has re-assigned sunbeds to the highest cancer risk category. A comprehensive meta-analysis concluded that the risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75 per cent when use of tanning devices starts before 35 years of age. It is estimated that sunbed use causes approximately 100 deaths per year in the UK from malignant melanoma.

Therefore my advice is to stay safe, always do a patch test first and enjoy your tanning experience!