Fake tanning lessons for Scottish pupils.

Blackleaf · Fake tanning lessons for Scottish pupils.

Classes in fake tanning for Scottish pupils

Gerard Seenan
Wednesday January 18, 2006
The Guardian

In a country where sunshine is about as common as wild haggis, it is probably not surprising that many Scots seek artificial help to rid themselves of pasty complexions. But such is the desire to have a tan among Scottish schoolchildren that schools are calling in beauty experts to offer advice on how to apply fake tan to stop pupils nipping out for a sunbed session in their dinner break.

Glasgow has more sunbeds per head of population than any other city in the UK. But generally fair-skinned Scots are particularly vulnerable to skin cancer and 125 Scots are diagnosed with the disease every week, a rate of incidence higher than that in Australia (with all its sunshine).

The fake tanning training scheme was launched after staff at Thomas Muir high school in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, noticed pupils coming into afternoon lessons looking as if they had just stepped off a Majorcan beach. The school nurse, Liz Ratter, was so concerned about the risk of skin cancer among the pupils that she contacted a fake tan company.

In the first of a series of such sessions, Lisa Fulton, a training expert with Fake Bake, will give pupils tips on how to apply fake tan next week. Ms Fulton also plans to tell the pupils about her celebrity clientele, in the hope that stars will have influence where health experts do not.

"We will be giving little tips to the pupils on how to apply their tan, but we also hope that by telling them about all the celebrities who use tanning products it will encourage them to save their skins for when they are older," said Sandra McClumpha, UK managing director of Fake Bake. She plans to run a campaign called Save Your Skin in schools across Scotland before extending it to the rest of the UK.

guardian.co.uk

Aventinian

Although it does sounds rather silly, it's not too far a stretch of reason. My skin is pale even by Scottish standards and it's always something I have to consider. It just so happens I'm also feel the effects of dehydration more than most... I once swore off going to any part of the world that is remotely desert-like... yet now it sounds like I may well be spending the height of summer in Egypt. Joy of joys.

Celyn

Couldn't the schools just teach the pupils to read?

Then some manage to read the health advice about those suntan places, and some others .... Darwin award time. Very Happy

Of course, Thomas Muir was transported to Australia; perhaps this self-cooking trend is a strange school custom.

Morph

Waht would be wrong with Social education classes bringing this up instead of professional fake tanning staff.

Or we could get children out of the idea that looking like you've just been tangoed doesn't make you look big or clever

azzuri

I suppose it's like sex education at school - society long ago realised you can't stop or discourage youngsters having sex - so the best thing to do is make sure they know how to do it safely.

I'd imagine this is just another example of that - teaching kids how to fake tan so they don't overdo it on the sunbeds - makes a lot of sense really.

And it makes perfect sense for people already in the profession to teach this to kids. What would be the point in sending all of our teachers to do 6 month beauty therapy courses on overtime + the cost of the course itself in order to teach kids how to fake tan for 1 hour every year?

Morph

shouldn't we address the more underlying factors such as insecurity or low self esteem in these kids?

azzuri

you mean pay for expensive counselling sessions for kids who are simply following a fashion trend?

most people 'follow the crowd' when they're young, it's the nature of being a youngster!

Morph

it wouldn't require expensive councilling, if advised at a younger age then the problem might not be as much as it is

Morph

also according to this article the problem may just be as much a problem due to increases in holidays abroad, so in this case the fake tan lessons would be of no use

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/lo/features/7017529.html

inga · Re: Fake tanning lessons for Scottish pupils.

A tan is a disgrace to the civilised man, and an end to the beauty of the Britoness.

~Inga

Fake tanning lessons for Scottish pupils.

Re: Fake tanning lessons for Scottish pupils.