Beyond the pale

I have been living in the UK for more than a year and a half already, and my skin colour started to blend into the environment and turning white.

I have my graduation day coming up next week and I wanted to have a healthy  (no offense, British friends!) skin colour in the pictures. My girl friends and I have been considering all the posibilities: tanning wipes, lotions, spray tanning, sunbeds... My skin gets tan very easily so I personally went for the most "natural" option: sunbeds. I had a very nice tan when I used to go to the beach on holiday and I am aware of the risks of sunbathing, but I thought a couple of sessions will not hurt my body. At least, that's what I thought!

There are not many places with sunbeds in Bristol city centre. As far as I know, there are just two: The Clifton Beauty Company in Clifton and Golden Tanning in Bedminster. Apparently, british women prefer other types of tanning: St. Tropez, one of the leading self-tanning products in the UK, sells three bottles of bronzing mousse a minute around the world and 41% of women in the UK use those products.

It was my first time in vertical sunbeds and I expected some advise from the beautician of how long the session should be. But she didn't even look at my skin. Instead, she laid the responsibility with my "expert" judgment and after a brief (not to say none) explanation about how the sunbed works, left me alone in the cabinet. She did not even offer any type of goggles to cover my eyes, which I have read I should wear. Luckily, I had some of my own.

9 minutes. 9 minutes in Hell. By the 6th minute I was having a stifling sensation. I activated the ventilator, which was not a good idea either, as the air was very hot. When 9 minutes were over, I was feeling sick and dizzy. I got dressed and left the place as fast as I could. The next morning, I had some reminders of the experience in all over my arms and back: skin rashes.

Needless to say, I feel very disappointed. I cannot understand why people behind the counter of a tanning salon does not give accurate information about tanning safety to their new clients. I will never go back.