0:00:06 > 0:00:08Fake tanning. We love it.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12More of us in Wales tan than ever before.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But why do we worship the golden glow?
0:00:15 > 0:00:17And could it even be bad for us?
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Hayley Pearce wants to find out.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24She was the star of TV's The Call Centre
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and is now a proud cafe owner.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30She's also a self-confessed tanning addict.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Hayley will meet some of Wales's youngest tanners.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Well done, girls.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36And the most extreme.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41I'd describe myself as orange. Why not? You might as well go for it.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43She'll look at some of the most bizarre products
0:00:43 > 0:00:45on the market today...
0:00:45 > 0:00:48How the hell do these three give you a tan?
0:00:48 > 0:00:50..and learn some shocking facts.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54You would inject it in the stomach, and it could cause DNA damage.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00To see if SHE can survive without a tan, Hayley's going cold turkey,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02quitting the tanning salon for a month.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Will she be able to break her tanning habit?
0:01:06 > 0:01:11And will she feel like the same Hayley - even without her glow?
0:01:11 > 0:01:14My name's Hayley, and I cannot live without a tan.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I'm going to go mad, right, sod it!
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Guys! Where's the teabags?
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Hayley Pearce, lovable tea lady from BBC Three's The Call Centre.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35The show made her a star, her face plastered over billboards
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and magazines.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40But there's something about that face that's always
0:01:40 > 0:01:41the same.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46It's always tanned.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Whatever the time of year.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53And the other side...
0:01:55 > 0:02:00Tanning to me is just part of my life, part of my routine, every day.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04It makes me feel just better in myself.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08A lot of people don't like the tanned look.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10But I don't understand why they say that
0:02:10 > 0:02:14because it is a fact everyone looks better with a glow.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Hayley's had a spray tan every week for over 11 years.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28I literally do feel ill and pale and sick if I don't have a tan.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32I instantly feel like I have to cover up.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34But then once I've got my tan on, boy...
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I'll wear a boob tube, I'll wear the hot pants, I'll wear anything.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41It's just confidence comes out, as soon as I have my tan.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47For Hayley, a tanning top-up is essential before any night out.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53And tonight, she's hitting town with some of her oldest friends.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Danielle and Jade know Hayley's more than a little smitten
0:02:58 > 0:02:59with her spray tan.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03I've never seen Hayley without a tan, ever. Have you?
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Obviously when we were children, yeah, I have seen her without a tan,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10but over the last 13 years, no, I've never seen her without a tan.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15If she didn't have a tan she'd probably have a proper tantrum.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16That's Hayley.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19She's so strong-minded, she just definitely wouldn't go out
0:03:19 > 0:03:20without one.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23With all of us snapping away 24/7 with our smartphones
0:03:23 > 0:03:27and selfie sticks, we never quite know where our photos might end up.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Hayley's determined never to get caught out.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34As if you'd ever go without a tan, because this day and age,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37everyone's snapping at you, aren't they, on a night out?
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Whether it's Snapchat, or Facebook, there's photos everywhere!
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Yeah, you don't know...someone's in the background, other people,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46you don't know when you're in a picture.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48I think it is a big pressure not just on us,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50but on everyone in society.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52They're pretty certain that tonight
0:03:52 > 0:03:55they won't be the only ones putting their glow on show.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Everyone wears tan these days.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59You're like the oddball if you go out pale now, though.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01It's like, "Oh, my God, you haven't got tan on."
0:04:01 > 0:04:03You'd be like, "Look how pale that person is."
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Even boys, like, they've even had the tans when we used to go out.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Even if some of them don't admit it! We can tell that they've had a tan.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Wind Street, Swansea, and it's a typical Saturday night.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32You can actually see how many people have got tan on and considering
0:04:32 > 0:04:36we are in the middle of winter, I doubt any of it is actually natural.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37Unless they've been to the Bahamas
0:04:37 > 0:04:40in the last week or something, but I doubt it!
0:04:42 > 0:04:44So it seems Hayley's not the only one.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Loads of us wouldn't dream of going out without a tan.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55In fact, around half of all Welsh women have tanned in
0:04:55 > 0:04:56the last year alone.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01But it's not women who are the fastest-rising tanners.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05It's men.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09It's mad watching a man have a spray tan.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I've actually never seen a man have a one before.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Jess, you get all the good jobs, eh?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20For 32-year old topless waiter Matt Nolan,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22a tan's just part of his uniform.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25Of which there's very little.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31So you're a topless waiter, then. Wow - I bet you love that, do you?
0:05:31 > 0:05:32Good job, yeah, not too bad.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35I bet, posing in front of all the women and that!
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Do you feel you need to have a tan for that job?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- Yes.- Why's that?
0:05:40 > 0:05:44It brings out the muscle and makes the body look better.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46I'm sure it's better in a show to be tanned than white,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48it's just better for the eyes.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51You feel better or you think they think it looks better?
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Both.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54So this isn't your only job, is it, Matt?
0:05:54 > 0:05:56No, it's not my only job.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59I'm a secondary school teacher. I teach PE and science
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and I also run my own personal training business in Swansea.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So do you go into work, then, into school with a tan?
0:06:05 > 0:06:07I do go into work with a tan.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Do the kids notice it?
0:06:09 > 0:06:10They don't say anything.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14They might notice it but I do try washing it off as quick as I can.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Well, the cat's out of the bag now!
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Fair play for having all them jobs! - Cheers!
0:06:21 > 0:06:23A few hours later
0:06:23 > 0:06:25and Matt's getting down to business at a birthday party.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34It's time to work his magic and put his man-tan to the test.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So, girls, what do you all think of Matt's tan, then?
0:06:39 > 0:06:41- ALL:- Whoo!
0:06:41 > 0:06:44There you go, Matt, they think you're winning there, kid!
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Fake tan is one of the fastest-growing sectors
0:07:08 > 0:07:12of the beauty business, with sales of over £100 million a year.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16But can tanning become a dangerous obsession?
0:07:19 > 0:07:23To find out, Hayley's come to Ashcroft House in Cardiff
0:07:23 > 0:07:27to meet addiction expert Debbie Griffiths.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- Hi.- Nice to meet you.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33So can tanning be an addiction?
0:07:33 > 0:07:40If you feel the need to have a tan, it is the same sort of thing that
0:07:40 > 0:07:43you would feel if wanted to have a drink of alcohol, if you were an
0:07:43 > 0:07:47alcoholic, or if you wanted to source a drug
0:07:47 > 0:07:49if you were a drug addict.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53And most addicts are sourcing whatever their addiction is
0:07:53 > 0:07:56because they're fixing their feelings.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01But it certainly is as addictive as any substance.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07And that craving for tanning time is all-too-familiar to Hayley.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I do need it in my life. I need a tan, I feel better in myself,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14it makes me who I am.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17I just don't feel as confident as a person without a tan.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21When you look in mirror, do you see someone that's tanned or do
0:08:21 > 0:08:24you see someone that's really quite pale and needs to be tanned?
0:08:24 > 0:08:28When I have a tan I see myself tanned.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I see a glow and I feel happier in myself and confident.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36When I'm pale and I haven't got a tan, I just see a quieter,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38more insecure, not as confident person.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The point is, if you yourself don't want to stop there's
0:08:43 > 0:08:46no point in trying to treat the addiction.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47Because it has to come within.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55I actually found that a really interesting meeting.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I was quite shocked that she's actually said that she's seen
0:08:58 > 0:09:00people come in with tanning addictions.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The fact that she even compared them with drug and alcohol addictions
0:09:04 > 0:09:08as well, that they're kind of the same and they take over your life...
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It's...you know, the more I think about it, it is
0:09:11 > 0:09:13a really serious matter.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21To find out whether she herself is a tanning addict - a "tanorexic"
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- Hayley's going to try and go a month without tanning.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27It's not going to be easy.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32This'll be the first time in 11 years she'll go back to her
0:09:32 > 0:09:34natural skin colour.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I am already feeling really anxious about it, I'm not going to lie,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40but I am going to go for it, I am going to try.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Going to see if it affects me as a person.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44I do love a challenge
0:09:44 > 0:09:48but I'm already doubting how long I'm going to last, but we'll see.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58With tanorexia on the rise, Hayley wants to find out just how
0:09:58 > 0:10:00extreme the addiction can become.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Hiya, you must be Hannah...
0:10:06 > 0:10:1021-year-old Hannah Norman is a full-on tanning junkie.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13She's even been called Britain's biggest tanorexic.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Wow, so this I where it all happens, then?
0:10:16 > 0:10:17It definitely is.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19You have a lot of tanning products.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23The jewellery sales rep from Cwmbran started tanning
0:10:23 > 0:10:25when she was just 11 years old.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29So what kind of tan have you got on today?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I've got everything on today.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38So I've got my gradual, which is my favourite, I've got my instant,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42my shimmer, my bronzer.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46And then, over the top then, you know, face bronzer,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48I just chuck that on as well, then.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50You must get marks on clothes, though?
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Hairspray. Chuck hairspray on your hair, on your arms and all
0:10:54 > 0:10:56and it's happy days, innit?
0:10:56 > 0:11:01- So your skin literally is not breathing at all.- No!
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- It's full of fake tan and hairspray. - Yeah.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06God, I thought I was bad, but...
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Like, no disrespect,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11you must stink of tan constantly, then, yeah?
0:11:11 > 0:11:14No, well, I think they smell lovely. Like, you know
0:11:14 > 0:11:16when they smell like biscuits...
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I think, "Ooh, I smell like a bakery."
0:11:18 > 0:11:20What do you use to scrub the tan off with?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- Bleach.- You literally actually put bleach on your skin?
0:11:23 > 0:11:29I pour bleach on my skin and leave it while my bath is running,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32get in the bath, then I scrub.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It don't all come off, but I can start again then.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Wow.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Hannah's addiction's so strong, she tops up morning, evening
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and at work, up to five times a day.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51But for Hannah, there's no shame in being a tanorexic.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I love being called the most tanned person in Britain,
0:11:55 > 0:12:00it's the happiest thing I've ever had in my life.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Some people are really negative towards it.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07When you're this colour, you don't expect everybody to think,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09"Oh, don't she look nice?"
0:12:09 > 0:12:13I expect people to think, "Ah, what does she look like?"
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I don't care, I just like me with my tan,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and I'm just so happy with it. I just think why not?
0:12:21 > 0:12:25So looking at you now, what colour would you describe yourself as?
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I'd describe myself as orange! Why not?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32You may as well go for it, I am an orange person.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Do you think I'm a funny colour?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38No, you're just not tanned, really, sorry!
0:12:40 > 0:12:42So you do like being orange, then?
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Yeah, you know, you're walking down the street
0:12:46 > 0:12:50and people are looking at you, thinking, "What does she look like?"
0:12:50 > 0:12:53You can think either good or bad, but at least you're looking at me.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Hannah might be an extreme tanner, but she's far from the only one
0:13:07 > 0:13:09getting her bronzer out of the bottle.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16We now know sunbathing and UV rays are bad for us, so more and
0:13:16 > 0:13:20more of us in Wales are switching to sun-less tanning to get our fix.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Hayley's among them, and she's come to London to find out why
0:13:25 > 0:13:28so many of us want to look like we've just stepped off the beach.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- Hi, I'm Hayley.- Hi, Hayley.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- Welcome to my studio.- Thank you.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Celebrity spray tanner James Harknett
0:13:38 > 0:13:40thinks he's got the answer.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43If you see someone that you admire and you see them on a red carpet
0:13:43 > 0:13:46or presenting something or in a film, or performing,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and they look great, then why wouldn't you want to look like them?
0:13:49 > 0:13:51And things like social media, for instance,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53we can see in seconds on our phone,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57on our tablet, of what someone looks like at an event that day.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59And then we can go on a website and we can buy that outfit.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03So why wouldn't we buy that look as well, as a whole, with make-up,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06with hair and with tan as well?
0:14:06 > 0:14:10But it's not easy to create the high-end celebrity look.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Only a true spray tan artist can pull it off.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15What we're going to do is define certain areas of the skin,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17so contouring.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20James has offered to give Hayley a very quick demo to
0:14:20 > 0:14:21show off his unique style.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I can look at someone in front of me and it's almost like a blank canvas.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31What I like to do is highlight the contours of their body.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33People say, "What is contouring?"
0:14:33 > 0:14:36It's actually shading different parts of the muscle tone
0:14:36 > 0:14:37and the flesh.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I sweep my gun in on the abs, for instance, over the chest,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44on top of the arms, and it deepens the colour of those areas
0:14:44 > 0:14:47where people immediately feel more toned and athletic and you
0:14:47 > 0:14:50feel more confident when you've got this gorgeous bronzed skin.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53Unlucky for Hayley,
0:14:53 > 0:14:58she's only getting a quick taster - the rest of her body's off limits.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It's strictly cold turkey for the remainder of the month.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Obviously, things do come in and out of fashion all the time.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Do you think the tan look will go out of fashion
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and the pale look will come back in, like years ago?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Never, because when you think of colour on people's skin you
0:15:12 > 0:15:13think of wellbeing.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16You think of healthy, you think of a great lifestyle.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18I think there's always going to be people who are like "Oh, no,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21"I'd never have a spray tan" because that's not their look.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24But there's always going to be a lot of people that like to be brown
0:15:24 > 0:15:28and they like to be just an even better version of themselves.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32SALSA MUSIC
0:15:35 > 0:15:39And if there's one place where dressing up and spraying down's
0:15:39 > 0:15:42the key to looking good, it's Strictly Come Dancing.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49But has Strictly helped make tanning the norm, whatever your age?
0:15:54 > 0:15:56New Cottage Dance Centre in Ystrad Mynach is
0:15:56 > 0:15:59the training ground for some of Britain's
0:15:59 > 0:16:01most successful young ballroom dancers.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03MUSIC PLAYING
0:16:06 > 0:16:07Oh, my God, this is awesome!
0:16:10 > 0:16:11I love this stuff.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It's a world where the depth of your tan is
0:16:13 > 0:16:16almost as important as your dance moves.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Oh, wow.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20MUSIC: Thriller by Michael Jackson
0:16:27 > 0:16:30LAUGHTER ON MUSIC TRACK
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Well done, girls...and boys! Girls and boys.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46So, girls, how old were you when you first had a tan?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48When I was eight, I started.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Eight! You started having a tan, wow!
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Same with me, eight years old.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- I only started this year. - How old are you?
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- 11.- And Millie?- I was about ten.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Ten. Wow, that's...
0:17:00 > 0:17:05I didn't realise that people so young started wearing tan.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Hayley herself was 16 when she first tanned.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11A late starter, by dancing standards.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15How important is tanning in the dance industry?
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Really important, because everyone has it done and, like,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21when you go to a comp there's no-one there that's really white.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Surely it doesn't affect your performance if you're wearing tan or not?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Surely you dance exactly the same on stage?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It actually does affect.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Because all eyes are on us and if you're looking around and
0:17:31 > 0:17:34if everyone around you has tan on, you're the whitest in the room,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37you really feel self-conscious about yourself.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38So it would actually affect your performance
0:17:38 > 0:17:40if you didn't have a tan on?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- Yeah.- Because you would look really different from everyone else.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Can you ever imagine dancing without a tan?
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- No!- No.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56The girls' mums understand why.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Would you ever let them go to a show with no tan on?
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Absolutely not, no way.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Do you ever get any grief from any other parents, then?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08I have, yeah, but I've always told them it's part of her performance.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11She wipes it off at the end of the day.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14If anybody was to put their child up to be in a pantomime performance,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17as such, they would be expected to wear full make-up,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20as much as our girls would be expected to full tan,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22and it would affect their marks without it.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Back at home, Hayley's trying hard to adjust to her new
0:18:38 > 0:18:40tan-less skin tone.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46So it's been 15 days now and I haven't had a tan.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Not that I'm counting or anything, but I actually am counting.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53It is a big deal for me. I've had a tan every week for years
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and I've had to come out of this habit just like that.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01It is hard because I feel, like, a stone heavier
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and I do feel a stone heavier in myself.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05It's been a bit of a nightmare,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07had to go out and buy lighter make-up
0:19:07 > 0:19:10because obviously my old make-up was too dark.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13I keep looking at myself and I'm like,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15"Hello, white skin, it's been a while!"
0:19:15 > 0:19:19# I see your true colour shining through... #
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Hayley might still be craving her regular spray tan,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27but across Wales a growing number of us
0:19:27 > 0:19:30are getting our tanning fixes from products you can't
0:19:30 > 0:19:31find in a salon.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35The internet's the new frontier of fakery.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42I've actually got five websites up now that's actually selling
0:19:42 > 0:19:46jab-a-tan, where you inject, but what I find even more bonkers
0:19:46 > 0:19:49is I've never even heard of it before.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53I can't believe people do it, it's a nasal spray to tan,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and you actually sniff tan.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59What I don't understand is it's legal to actually buy
0:19:59 > 0:20:03but it's illegal to sell - what's the sense in that?
0:20:03 > 0:20:04It doesn't make sense!
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I'm quite intrigued to find out what's actually in the products
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and how people use it.
0:20:09 > 0:20:15So I'm going to order some today and see what it's all about.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Thousands of people in Wales are now thought to have
0:20:20 > 0:20:23injected themselves with a tanning product called Melanotan 2.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Also known as jab-a-tan or Barbie tan,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30it's often used when other tanning methods just aren't enough.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Easy to buy on the internet, it's a man-made hormone that
0:20:34 > 0:20:38works by increasing levels of the pigment in the skin.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41I haven't used it now for four weeks, that's why I'm quite pale.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Hayley's come to meet 26-year-old Fay Griffiths, who,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47until recently, was a regular jab-a-tanner.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50So how did you actually find them?
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I enjoyed the fact that I looked darker and had a healthy glow.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58But the negative thing about it was I was feeling sick,
0:20:58 > 0:21:03I was coming out in spots, I lost my appetite, I wasn't eating very much.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07I just felt quite drained from it.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Trouble is, tanning injections are unregulated,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14so there's no knowing what you're putting in your body.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17And Fay's not the only person it's made sick.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I've known people that have been rushed into hospital
0:21:20 > 0:21:22as they've been ill from using it and I was just
0:21:22 > 0:21:26thinking of what affect it's going to have on me in a few years' time.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Didn't really think it would be dangerous at all because
0:21:28 > 0:21:30so many people were doing it.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33So do you reckon you'll ever go back to using it again?
0:21:33 > 0:21:35I don't really want to use them again.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37So even though it gives you a healthier look,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40you'd say it's not a natural or a healthy thing to do?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42No, it's not a healthy thing to do.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47I'm glad for her sake she's actually off the tanning jabs.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It's made me realise that having a tan once a week is actually nothing
0:21:51 > 0:21:53compared to some people.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55They go to extreme lengths to get a tan.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59It's just sad that we're all obsessed with getting a tan.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Hayley's now gone three weeks without her spray tan.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Hard at work in her cafe,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19her fading skin colour is attracting attention.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- Hello!- Hello, usual for me, please.- OK.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- You're looking pale!- Don't even go there!- Let's have a look.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35You're looking ill, babe! Your complexion looks lovely.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It looks really nice, honest.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39You'll get used to it.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I'm not going to get used to it, I know I'm not.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's a change in her look that's really knocked her confidence.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I look in a mirror and I just see ghost.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I'm not used to seeing like a white glow...well, not a glow.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55I'm not used to seeing a white face.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57I don't know, I'm not used to seeing white fingers.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02I keep looking at my hands and going, "Whoa!" They're so white.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And I don't know, I'm really, really feeling it.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23A couple of days later, and Hayley's internet tanning order has arrived.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27That's all that's in here?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30There's no instructions or anything.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34So this must be the nasal spray.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Oh, my God, I can't believe that people actually snort tan.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41That's bonkers.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46Isn't it mad how this... and this - what is it, powder?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50And then that... What is that, water, oil?
0:23:50 > 0:23:53How the hell do these three give you a tan?
0:23:54 > 0:23:58What the hell's in it to give you a tan? Nobody knows.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59Could be anything!
0:24:01 > 0:24:05To find out, Hayley's taken her sample to a lab in Cardiff.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Toxicologist Dr Kelly Berube is taking a look at it under
0:24:13 > 0:24:14the microscope.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I want to show you what the powder looks like.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Now, this is strange.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22I was expecting spheres, or fibres,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25but certainly not this type of structure.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Never seen something like that.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Never even expect something like that.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Ever.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33The man-made chemicals in the powder have baffled Kelly
0:24:33 > 0:24:37and further tests have shown her how dangerous it could be.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39So we took some of the solution
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and we just injected the solution in these lanes here.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44And what you're looking for is if there's DNA damage,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48the molecule will change and you'll get a matching band up here,
0:24:48 > 0:24:49all the way across.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Every dose that I tested has toxicity to cause DNA damage.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56So this stuff actually affects people's genes, then?
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Oh, yes, in here we have ten doses.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Now, one dose alone can cause 30% DNA damage. That's amazing.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05But it didn't come with any instructions, so what would happen
0:25:05 > 0:25:07if someone overdosed or used the wrong amount?
0:25:07 > 0:25:11What would happen is, if I had the needle here, they would inject it in
0:25:11 > 0:25:14the stomach, and through the stomach, the material, the solution,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17would pass all through the circulation
0:25:17 > 0:25:19and it could cause - DNA damage -
0:25:19 > 0:25:23cancer, anywhere. The stomach, the skin, even. And of course the lungs.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29But it's not just the illegal tanning products that could be
0:25:29 > 0:25:31making us ill.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34New research shows that if spray tan's not used properly,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37it too could carry health risks.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40We have the mannequin, we have the spray pump and either side
0:25:40 > 0:25:43we have two filters and they're collecting the surrounding air.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46So what I want you to do is give that mannequin a spray tan
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and we'll have a look at the filters later.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50OK.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51SPRAYER WHIRS
0:25:52 > 0:25:56The skin-browning chemical in most self-tanning products
0:25:56 > 0:25:59is called dihydroxyacetone, or DHA for short.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04DHA was originally approved for external use in tanning lotions
0:26:04 > 0:26:0640 years ago.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09But today, we're no longer just rubbing it onto our skin,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11we're spraying it on.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Spray tan manufacturers advise wearing eye,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18nose and lip protection when having a spray.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Kelly's tests show what could happen
0:26:22 > 0:26:26if you don't follow that advice - without the right protection,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29DHA-based spray tans could be a health hazard.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36OK, Hayley, the fact that we can see the tanning spray here,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39the brown colour, means those particles would be getting
0:26:39 > 0:26:42through your nose, into your mouth and into your respiratory system.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45And from there it can spread throughout your body.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50And that's the issue, with the DHA entering your body that way, and in
0:26:50 > 0:26:54the long term there's risk that you may develop cancer in your body.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56I'm not saying all spray tans are bad,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58it's just the way that you apply them.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01So do you actually use any protection? Like a nose clamp?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Something over your lips?
0:27:03 > 0:27:04No, I've never used them
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and I don't think I know anyone that does even use them.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10You need to go to a reputable salon, you need to make sure
0:27:10 > 0:27:13that they have ventilation, that you use the personal
0:27:13 > 0:27:16protective equipment and that people that are spraying need be
0:27:16 > 0:27:19aware themselves, they need to wear their protective equipment as well.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24It's a sobering thought for Hayley, who's been tanning without
0:27:24 > 0:27:27the recommended protection for over a decade.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Today's been great, I've never been to a lab before,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31and I really enjoyed meeting Kelly. She was fab.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34But I am shocked to find out, with spray tanning...
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I always thought they were fine.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39But, actually, we still even have to be careful with them because
0:27:39 > 0:27:42there are chemicals in the air and we have got to all take precautions.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55It's the end of Hayley's challenge, a whole month without her glow.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Some people are really obsessed with a tan.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Each to their own, everyone's entitled to do what
0:28:04 > 0:28:07they want to make them feel happy and unfortunately...
0:28:07 > 0:28:11well, I wouldn't say unfortunately, tan does make me happy.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13And it's just... it's an insecurity of mine
0:28:13 > 0:28:17that I've opened up about now, and from going a month without tan,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21I think I weirdly started to accept myself without tan, but
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I know deep down I look better and my confidence is there with a tan.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29But I have realised less is more.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31I'm just going to tone it down and from now on I am going
0:28:31 > 0:28:34to have a tan, but just with one layer.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41And this time round I'm going in with my goggles...
0:28:41 > 0:28:44which is probably going to be, like, "What the hell?"
0:28:44 > 0:28:45But, hey, I went to a scientist!
0:28:45 > 0:28:47MUSIC: Halo by Beyonce