It is estimated that one-third of our lifetime exposure to UV occurs in the first 18 years of life. The delicate skin of children needs to be protected, as the melanin-producing cells do not act efficiently enough to cope with over-exposure and there is evidence which suggests that over-exposure and sunburn pose the biggest risk to skin damage.

Preventing sunburn and over-exposure in childhood is seen as a major factor in preventing skin damage in later life. On the other hand, studies have shown that UV provides a source of vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining a healthy skeleton, eg prevention of rickets. The answer is that children should receive a certain amount of exposure to UV for health reasons but muost avoid over-exposure and sunburn.

The ’no-one under 16’ rule for tanning takes account of the fact that additional exposure to UV is not necessary for this age group.

Members of TSA are committed to working to the Association’s Code of Practice and, therefore, must not let anyone under 16 use their sunbeds, not even with parental consent.