Headteacher bans fake tans to crack down on 'orange' pupils

It may be de rigueur for celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Jordan.

But for a group of schoolgirls fake tan, or more precisely the orange glow that comes from its over-enthusiastic application, has been ruled out.

The sight of streaky-legged pupils has become so common at Baines School that the head has written to parents to try to get them to discourage their daughters from coming to lessons covered with spray tan.

Carol Robinson, acting head of the comprehensive in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, said that while she was not banning fake tan, she hoped parents would support her.

In her letter, Mrs Robinson said the school strived to 'promote natural beauty and contentment with one's own looks' among pupils.

'The current trend for fake/spray tans does little to enhance the appearance of our young ladies,' she said.

'We ask for your support in ensuring girls do not come to school looking varying shades of orange.'

Mrs Robinson said the school preferred pupils to apply fake tan than risk their health by going on sunbeds or sitting in the sun without protection.

But she added: 'We're simply asking for parents' support in ensuring that it isn't over-the-top. Of course, we appreciate a false tan is probably much healthier than lying in the sun for hours.

'We're asking for co-operation in ensuring our pupils do not arrive for school in various shades of orange.'

Tangerine dream: A headteacher has asked parents to help clamp down on their children's use of fake tan (file picture)

Many pupils at the school support the head.

Alison Taylor, a 17-year-old sixth former, said: 'I agree fake tan should be banned. I think it looks a lot nicer to be natural than bright orange.'

Fake tan soared in popularity in the 1990s amid concerns about the use of sunbeds and their link to skin cancer.

In some areas, children as young as 11 use sunbeds, some of which are coin operated and up to three times more powerful than a decade ago. It has become such a problem that doctors said some youngsters were developing an obsession known as tanorexia.

Dr John Kellett, a consultant dermatologist, said: 'Fake tan doesn't do any harm at all to health. If the alternative is for young girls to go on the sunbed then it is preferable.'

A spokesman for Lancashire Education Authority said dress code and appearance were matters for individual schools.

Bad example: Schoolgirls are avid fans of fake tan as they seek to emulate their idols such as glamour model Jordan and Victoria Beckham (above)

FACT FILE

• Fake tan lotions do not contain dyes or paint but work because their active ingredient - dihydroxyacetone (DHA) - causes a chemical reaction with amino acids in the dead layer of skin on the surface. This causes 'browning' of the skin without the need for sun or UV exposure.
• Advice on applying fake tan, including how much is acceptable, appeared in the latest edition of Debrett's Etiquette Guide for Girls.
• Last month organisers of Royal Ascot published a new fashion code, which warned racegoers that poorly applied fake tan on bare legs would be frowned upon.
• In January this year TV bosses banned former Pop Idol star Gareth Gates from wearing fake tan after complaints he was looking 'too orange' by viewers of Dancing on Ice
• Research has shown that women who use fake tan are twice as likely to use sun cream than those who don't.
• Malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, is the most common cancer in 15 to 34-year-olds and results in 1,800 deaths a year.