Black hole sun
Dream of being a bronze goddess, always yearned for a fab tan that doesn't include sunburn? Miriam Galea investigates into the safer, faster alternative.
Spray tan. Fake bake. Tan in a can. All these are terms for the latest trend in mainstream fashion. Not only do you have to have a skinny figure, be fashion-conscious and groomed, now skin tone plays a crucial role as well. Look at all the cover girls, Hollywood divas and music artistes - a bronzed look is what's hip right now. Be it female beach babes or male surfer dudes, the rule is a golden tint that makes your skin glow and clothes shine off you.
"When you're brown you look healthier and slimmer," announces Jayne Zammit, dermotherapist, director of Alternative Beauty Ltd and sole distributor of St Tropez tanning products. "Tan is the new black." "In just 10 minutes." I absorb the pull-quotes on St Tropez banners that face the entrance of the conference room. Jayne welcomes people as they arrive, herself a trim, bronzed blonde. It is a seminar about fake tanning, the latest fad that makes it possible to obtain a harmless tan in just a few minutes. Rising awareness on the damaging effects that the sun has on our skin started with several campaigns in the 1980s, when having a tan was already fashionable. Exposure to the sun can cause melanoma skin cancer as well as premature ageing of the skin, broken veins, pigmentation and other skin diseases.
White skin, historically considered feminine and delicate, is now often dismissed as pasty, pallid and unhealthy. Dr Lawrence Scerri, head of the department of dermatology at Sir Paul Boffa Hospital, explains the cause of the increase in melanoma incidence over the past few years. The thinning of the ozone layer, the post-war affluence that led to a rise in outdoor leisure, sun beds and the suntan culture all contribute to this rise in frequency. He agrees that the tan culture is somewhat a form of exclusion and prejudice against people who do not sport that type of look, and that in a way it implies that people with a fair skin look sick and unhealthy, when in fact it's simply another type of complexion. However, considering the influence of the fashion world on a lot of people, particularly youngsters, he considers it a necessary evil.
"Unfortunately, the tanning culture is so strong and has been around for so long that it is extremely difficult to play down, in spite of the well known associated danger of skin cancer as well as the fact that a sun tan might look good in the short term but it will give way to prematurely aged skin sooner than one imagines. Numerous sun awareness campaigns worldwide have been running as far back as 20 to 30 years in Australia and North America, and more recently in Europe, with the aim of knocking some sense into people's heads.
"A fair amount of success has been achieved in getting the public to adopt sun protection measures such as the use of sunscreen, which, however, shouldn't justify longer hours in the sun, since it does not block out all the harmful UV rays. But the glamorous aura around the tan is a hard nut to crack. The idea behind the fake tan is to provide a safe alternative to the many out there who are obsessed with achieving a tan at all cost."
It is for this reason that Dr Scerri is contributing to promoting this method of fake tanning. He explains that over the past seven years, sun awareness campaigns have intensified locally. He himself has been coordinating the Euro-Melanoma campaign, warning people against the effects of the sun. Even if he believes that Maltese people are becoming more aware of this reality, he appeals to influential bodies such as the media, the glamour industry and role models to help out in this crusade.
Ms Zammit, in turn, has barely sat in the sun in the past five years, yet still sports a solid tan in the mid of winter. "When you see a friend's 14-year-old daughter die from skin cancer you never go back in the sun again," she explains. The only remaining alternative is opting for a fake tan. Tanning was discovered back in 1920 by Coco Chanel herself when she was experimenting with some colours. There exist a variety of home creams and products that, however, risk ending up in a tan that turns orange, or that is streaky and uneven. St Tropez spray tanning on the other hand guarantees an even, natural-looking tan that is vegetable- and water-based and so works according to the specific skin type for a "customised" tan, resulting in an individual look. St Tropez tans are fast, safe and professional. It only takes seven minutes for a full body tan. "Preparation is everything," Ms Zammit explains, "and the clients are asked to exfoliate all over the day before - especially areas like knees, elbows and feet - for a consistent tan".
The tan lasts from five to 10 days, and St Tropez offers products that help maintain and "top up" the tan at home, in between salon visits. The St Tropez tan is also ideal to cover imperfections like cellulite, varicose veins and Vitiligo. A spray tan costs around Lm12.
St Tropez has been available in local salons for three years, and now appears to be catching on not only with people who long for a bronzed all-year tan, but also with clients who acquire a tan for special occasions, such as weddings, or a first trip to the beach in summer. As Ms Zammit notes, "it is no longer a posh thing to do." It is important to remember that fake tanning does not protect the skin from UV rays, so one would still need to apply sunscreen when going in the sun.
Dr Scerri speaks of the frustration that dermatologists and health promotion personnel have faced in trying to change firmly established cultures and attitudes. His final answer to the question "Is there such a thing as a safe tan?" is in fact "Yes - a sunless tan".
"When you're brown you look healthier and slimmer," announces Jayne Zammit, dermotherapist, director of Alternative Beauty Ltd and sole distributor of St Tropez tanning products. "Tan is the new black." "In just 10 minutes." I absorb the pull-quotes on St Tropez banners that face the entrance of the conference room. Jayne welcomes people as they arrive, herself a trim, bronzed blonde. It is a seminar about fake tanning, the latest fad that makes it possible to obtain a harmless tan in just a few minutes. Rising awareness on the damaging effects that the sun has on our skin started with several campaigns in the 1980s, when having a tan was already fashionable. Exposure to the sun can cause melanoma skin cancer as well as premature ageing of the skin, broken veins, pigmentation and other skin diseases.
White skin, historically considered feminine and delicate, is now often dismissed as pasty, pallid and unhealthy. Dr Lawrence Scerri, head of the department of dermatology at Sir Paul Boffa Hospital, explains the cause of the increase in melanoma incidence over the past few years. The thinning of the ozone layer, the post-war affluence that led to a rise in outdoor leisure, sun beds and the suntan culture all contribute to this rise in frequency. He agrees that the tan culture is somewhat a form of exclusion and prejudice against people who do not sport that type of look, and that in a way it implies that people with a fair skin look sick and unhealthy, when in fact it's simply another type of complexion. However, considering the influence of the fashion world on a lot of people, particularly youngsters, he considers it a necessary evil.
"Unfortunately, the tanning culture is so strong and has been around for so long that it is extremely difficult to play down, in spite of the well known associated danger of skin cancer as well as the fact that a sun tan might look good in the short term but it will give way to prematurely aged skin sooner than one imagines. Numerous sun awareness campaigns worldwide have been running as far back as 20 to 30 years in Australia and North America, and more recently in Europe, with the aim of knocking some sense into people's heads.
"A fair amount of success has been achieved in getting the public to adopt sun protection measures such as the use of sunscreen, which, however, shouldn't justify longer hours in the sun, since it does not block out all the harmful UV rays. But the glamorous aura around the tan is a hard nut to crack. The idea behind the fake tan is to provide a safe alternative to the many out there who are obsessed with achieving a tan at all cost."
It is for this reason that Dr Scerri is contributing to promoting this method of fake tanning. He explains that over the past seven years, sun awareness campaigns have intensified locally. He himself has been coordinating the Euro-Melanoma campaign, warning people against the effects of the sun. Even if he believes that Maltese people are becoming more aware of this reality, he appeals to influential bodies such as the media, the glamour industry and role models to help out in this crusade.
Ms Zammit, in turn, has barely sat in the sun in the past five years, yet still sports a solid tan in the mid of winter. "When you see a friend's 14-year-old daughter die from skin cancer you never go back in the sun again," she explains. The only remaining alternative is opting for a fake tan. Tanning was discovered back in 1920 by Coco Chanel herself when she was experimenting with some colours. There exist a variety of home creams and products that, however, risk ending up in a tan that turns orange, or that is streaky and uneven. St Tropez spray tanning on the other hand guarantees an even, natural-looking tan that is vegetable- and water-based and so works according to the specific skin type for a "customised" tan, resulting in an individual look. St Tropez tans are fast, safe and professional. It only takes seven minutes for a full body tan. "Preparation is everything," Ms Zammit explains, "and the clients are asked to exfoliate all over the day before - especially areas like knees, elbows and feet - for a consistent tan".
The tan lasts from five to 10 days, and St Tropez offers products that help maintain and "top up" the tan at home, in between salon visits. The St Tropez tan is also ideal to cover imperfections like cellulite, varicose veins and Vitiligo. A spray tan costs around Lm12.
St Tropez has been available in local salons for three years, and now appears to be catching on not only with people who long for a bronzed all-year tan, but also with clients who acquire a tan for special occasions, such as weddings, or a first trip to the beach in summer. As Ms Zammit notes, "it is no longer a posh thing to do." It is important to remember that fake tanning does not protect the skin from UV rays, so one would still need to apply sunscreen when going in the sun.
Dr Scerri speaks of the frustration that dermatologists and health promotion personnel have faced in trying to change firmly established cultures and attitudes. His final answer to the question "Is there such a thing as a safe tan?" is in fact "Yes - a sunless tan".