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‘Sunbed may have scarred me for life’
Marc Mullen
A STUDENT fears she has been scarred for life
after a session on a high-pressure sunbed in a Golders Green gym left
her with severe burns.
Violette Meffre, 25, paid £20 for eight high-pressure sunbed sessions at LA Fitness, Golders Green Road.
The
student, who is originally from France, signed a standard disclaimer
and told staff she had never used a high-pressure sunbed before.
Ms Meffre says that she was told to spend 10 minutes on the bed.
She returned for a second session three days later but stopped after five minutes as she felt burning on the side of her face.
She said: "Nobody had showed me how to use the machine.
"The day after the second session my skin was very red. Two days later it was hurting so much and my skin was raw.
"I went to accident and emergency at the Royal Free Hospital where the doctor told me I had second degree burns."
High-pressure sunbeds give intense bursts of radiation in two to three minute spells.
The beds were used in the Royal Free Hospital sports club until staff withdrew them 10 years ago amid health concerns.
Experts recommend that people who want to top up their tans should use the high-pressure beds for no more than four
minutes at a time.
And the British Medical Association recommends that people with fair skin never use sunbeds.
Dr
Vivienne Nathanson, the British Medical Association's head of science
and ethics, said: "We really need a public health campaign to educate
people about the dangers of sunbeds.
"It's ironic - people use
sunbeds because they think they'll look better and yet they will
probably end up looking old prematurely and possibly getting skin
cancer."
LA Fitness has 65 clubs in the UK and more than 200,000 members.
The firm operates a system in which customers visit clubs undercover to check branches are adhering to health and safety rules.
Signs in sunbed rooms also warn customers of the dangers of high-pressure sunbeds.
A spokeswoman for LA Fitness said: "Our staff are not fully trained dermatologists.
"We do make every effort to have a certain standard of customer service.
"If someone asks to be shown how to use a sunbed, they should certainly be shown.
"Our managers should be aware of the dangers and should advise customers of that.
"People who use sunbeds do have to take a responsibility for what they are doing."
Ms Meffre is not sure whether the mark on her face will go.
She said: "I don't want any money from this. I am scared that I will have a mark on my face forever.
"They should have shown me how to operate the sunbed and pointed out the risks.
"In a few more years I am sure these beds will be forbidden."
marc.mullen@hamhigh.co.uk
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