Latest news with #MeganBlain
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'I hide tanning jabs in my room and use sunbeds four times a week - I cry after every session but still go back because it's the only thing that makes me feel confident'
A teenage sunbed addict says her mum was forced to beg local salons to stop serving her after finding tanning injections hidden in a pickle jar in her bedroom. Megan Blain, 19, admits she cries with guilt after every session but still visits salons up to four times a week, saying she feels anxious and 'not herself' if her skin tone lightens even slightly. The aspiring stewardess, from Murton, County Durham, says her obsession began at 16 after she was bullied at school and has since spiralled into a full-blown dependency on sunbeds, supplements and banned injections to keep her skin as dark as possible. Despite visible signs of damage, including new moles and premature lines on her face, Megan says she has continued regardless. She has even turned down job offers because she didn't feel 'dark enough'. Her mum Elisha, meanwhile, has been left so worried she contacted salons across the region in a bid to cut off her daughter's supply. She told MailOnline: 'I won't have anyone suggest that what I'm suffering isn't an addiction - it is and it's ruining my life. I don't want anyone else to go through what is happening to me. I know that I'm being self-destructive by going on the sunbeds day after day but I just can't stop. 'What really scares me is that I can see sunbed use rising among younger people and that all comes down to TikTok. There has been a rise in influencers who have a dark tan all year round and that look is becoming fashionable again. 'People have known for years the damage that sunbeds can do but I'm seeing girls of 15 going into sunbed shops because they want to look like the people they see online.' Megan says her habit began by secretly using her mum's sunbed in the garage, carefully topping up the electricity meter each time so she wouldn't be caught. 'I knew Mam would be furious if she knew what I was doing so I was very careful,' she said. 'I hoped that she'd think I was still using fake tan, but one day she saw me getting changed and saw the tan lines and realised what I had been doing.' Things escalated when Elisha discovered syringes hidden in a pickle jar while preparing a cheeseboard - and immediately began contacting local beauticians to warn them not to sell her daughter tanning injections. Megan said: 'She messaged loads of salons to tell them not to sell me the injections but I have to admit that I've carried on taking them. I feel bad going behind her back because I know she's so worried about me and I feel bad for causing that anxiety - but I just can't stop.' Now, she says the damage is already starting to show. 'There are moles that have appeared over the past two years that weren't there before and at 19 I have lines in my forehead that shouldn't be there,' she said. 'The signs of skin damage are there and they're obvious - but I still go back. 'If I try not to go on the beds, I feel depressed and anxious. And yet when I do go on them I cry after every session. I think it's through guilt because I know that what I'm doing is causing so much damage.' As well as using injections, Megan has experimented with tanning supplements - including beta-carotene tablets and even grated carrots in the hope they would darken her complexion. She says the obsession has taken over every part of her life. 'I was offered a job working on fairground rides but I didn't feel tanned enough to face so many people,' she said. 'I couldn't even go to my prom because my date said I looked too dark and he didn't want to take me any more.' Megan has reduced her sunbed usage to four times a week and is now using her platform on TikTok to warn 'the younger generation' about the dangers of sunbed addiction Megan says she has twice booked appointments with her GP but was too anxious to attend. 'There's no escaping it - on my street alone there are three sunbed shops, so the reminders are always there,' she said. 'I've made appointments with the doctor twice but couldn't go through with them. I was so anxious about what they would say that I couldn't leave the house.' She is currently studying travel and tourism at Sunderland College and dreams of becoming an air stewardess - but says her main goal is to leave the sunbeds behind for good. 'I want to experience the real world, that's my absolute goal,' she said. 'If one person reads my story and decides not to use a sunbed, I'll feel like I've achieved something.'
New York Post
6 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
I'm a sunbed addict and I've got scary moles all over — but I can't stop tanning
A teenager admitted that she regrets becoming addicted to tanning beds — and is now warning others against following in her footsteps after a cancer scare. Megan Blain, 19, traded out fake-tan bottles for sunbeds so she could achieve a darker tan year-round, lying on the beds every day for two years and often staying under the UV lights for as long as half an hour. 6 Megan Blain admitted she regrets her addiction to tanning beds. Kennedy News and Media Advertisement She even injects herself with tanning shots five times a week before going to the tanning beds to get an even darker hue. 'I just liked how I looked with a tan. I'm a person that wears bright colors and liked how it made the colors pop,' she told Kennedy News and Media. Two years later, the student from Seaham, England, admitted that she feels 'addicted' to tanning and she never feels like she's dark enough. Advertisement On top of that, she had a bit of a cancer scare after she noticed a questionable patch on her skin recently — but that still hasn't made her stop. 'I've noticed a patch on my skin which keeps changing size. I've tried to go to the doctors, like, five times, but keep freezing at the door,' Blain said. She added in a video posted by Truly, 'I started noticing moles on my back, my hands – I've got moles all over, but you do get moles off the sunbed. I didn't know if the moles were cancerous.' 'I'm one of those people that will worry over anything, so for me not to be worried about potentially having melanoma I noticed a few months ago, and still abuse the sunbeds, has made me realize this is an addiction. Advertisement 'I just never think I'm dark enough.' Despite her saying that she worries over everything, the addiction to tanning overpowered her fear of cancer. 'It doesn't even faze me that I could have melanoma and could turn into something life-threatening, it doesn't scare me at all.' 6 Megan Blain noticed a questionable patch on her skin recently — but that still hasn't made her stop tanning. Kennedy News and Media Advertisement Blain admitted that before she started tanning, she didn't know much about it, and now she's gotten addicted — regardless of how physically sick it makes her. 'I didn't know much about sunbeds when I first started. So for the first year, I used to go on for half an hour at a time covered in baby oil. It made me feel really confident at first,' she said. 'I started seeing results and how good it made me look and started going on more often. Next thing I know I'm stuck in a cycle of abusing sunbeds and taking tanning injections which make me feel sick and sometimes unable to eat.' 6 Blain admitted that before she started tanning, she didn't know much about it, and now she's gotten addicted. Kennedy News and Media Now, Blain is finally starting to wean herself off of the tanning beds, going four times a week rather than every day — and she's sharing her journey on TikTok to warn others not to make the same mistakes she did. 'After two years, my views on sunbeds have changed. If I could go back in time, I would've never started,' she shared. 'I just feel like I have to go on the sunbeds — it's not even a case of wanting to be tanned anymore.' 'The younger generation seem to be using [sunbeds] more than the older generation which is concerning because If I got addicted without even realizing it then the same could happen to other people.' 6 Megan Blain was using tanning beds daily. Kennedy News and Media Advertisement Blain shared that she wants to stop using tanning beds 'one day' — but she can't imagine herself not going. 'I find it hard to turn the sunbed off once I'm on. I don't even like going on sunbeds, I dread it, but I feel like I physically have to go on,' she said. 'I wouldn't recommend anyone to do this. You could end up addicted without even realizing like me.' In the Truly video, Blain shared that she sometimes cries after using the tanning bed because of all the damage it's doing, but she believes she is 'too far gone.' Advertisement 6 'If I could go back in time, I would've never started,' she shared. Kennedy News and Media The tanning addict has gotten looks from strangers on the street, as well as internet trolls who have labeled her a 'burnt chip.' 'Everywhere I go, I see people staring at me,' she said. 'When people say I'm dark, I actually find that hard to believe. I don't feel dark whatsoever — it's like I'm physically blind.' One internet user compared Blain's skin color to 'the chips that fell off the tray in the oven and I forgot about.' Advertisement 'Did [the sunbeds] cremate you?' another said. 6 Blain is finally starting to wean herself off of the tanning beds, going four times a week rather than every day. Kennedy News and Media Blain admitted that her family also said she's too dark, and she does care about what people online think. 'I've received hate through TikTok. I thought the video that went viral looked nice at the time and wondered why I received so much hate, but now I realize why and that the video actually didn't look nice at all.' Advertisement However, amid all the hate, Blain received some nice comments as well, encouraging her on her journey to let go of the addiction. 'You're beautiful either way don't let anyone tell you any different,' one said. 'You're gorgeous in every way possible. Don't let anyone tell you different. So proud of you,' another added.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Tanning addict, 18, who uses sunbeds four times a week, reveals worrying signs of UV damage on her body - but admits she still can't kick the habit
A teenager who is addicted to sunbeds has revealed she's spotted worrying signs of UV damage on her body - but still can't stop tanning. Megan Blain, 18, who has used sunbeds almost every day for three years, has previously revealed how she's been abused online over her habit, which she uses to achieved a deep bronzed look. Some of the nastiest comments have compared her to a 'dirty 2p coin' - but she still visits the salon every day. Now, Megan, from Seaham, County Durham, has revealed she's found new moles on her body that she didn't seem to have before she began regularly tanning - and has warned other people against trying sunbeds. Her tanning addiction began when she was just 16 years old, in the hope of maintaining a tan that lasted all year round. She swapped fake tan products for sunbeds and even started injecting herself with tanning agents to achieve a deeper glow. Despite 'not knowing much about sunbeds' at first, she spent up to half an hour on the beds under the UV lights for over a year, often coated in baby oil to enhance the results. Megan has been compared to a 'dirty 2p coin' by trolls - but she insists she is trapped in a cycle of tanning and can't imagine stopping Speaking in a Truly video, she said: 'I started notcing moles on my back, my hands – I've got moles all over, but you do get moles off the sunbed. I didn't know if the moles were cancerous. 'I've got a mark on my stomach. I tried going to the doctor's but I freeze at the door.' In a stark warning to others who have considered using sunbeds, she said: 'The addiction's just getting worse. I wouldn't recommend going on sunbeds to anyone.' Previously, Megan explained she began using sunbeds because she liked how she looked with a tan. 'I'm a person that wears bright colours and liked how it made the colours pop,' she said. 'I started seeing results and how good it made me look and started going on more often.' However, her intense tanning regime has raised health alarms, prompting Megan to acknowledge her 'addition' and cut down her sunbed usage. The student admits tanning injections make her feel nauseous and she's even noticed a suspicious patch recently appear on her skin - but fear of cancer has not made her stop tanning yet. Megan said: 'I've noticed a patch on my skin which keeps changing size. I've tried to go to the doctors like five times but keep freezing at the door. 'I'm one of those people that will worry over anything so for me not to be worried about potentially having melanoma I noticed a few months ago and still abuse the sunbeds has made me realise this is an addiction. I just never think I'm dark enough.' She explained: 'I'm stuck in a cycle of abusing sunbeds and taking tanning injections which make me feel sick and sometimes unable to eat. I used to go on every day and now it's four times a week.' Megan says her extreme tan has attracted attention from strangers, with some comparing her to a 'burnt chip' or saying she looks like a 'cremated' version of herself. Yet despite the backlash online, she insists she never feels 'dark enough' and struggles to imagine a life without the tanning beds. She swapped fake tan products for sunbeds and even started injecting herself with tanning agents to achieve a deeper glow Despite 'not knowing much about sunbeds' at first, Megan spent up to half an hour on the beds under the UV lights for over a year, often coated in baby oil to enhance the results She said: 'Everywhere I go, I see people staring at me. When people say I'm dark, I actually find that hard to believe. I don't feel dark whatsoever - it's like I'm physically blind. 'I want to stop one day but I can't ever imagine myself not going on the sunbeds. I wouldn't recommend anyone to do this. You could end up addicted without even realising like me.' In a bid to regain control, Megan has reduced her sunbed usage to four times a week and is now using her platform on TikTok to warn 'the younger generation' about the dangers of sunbed addiction. She said: 'The younger generation seem to be using [sunbeds] more than the older generation which is concerning because If I got addicted without even realising it then the same could happen to other people.' On TikTok, Megan has become a target for trolls, who have joined forces to poke fun at the teenager's appearance. In regards to Megan's tanned skin colour, one person wrote: 'The chips that fell down from the oven.' Another said, 'You know when you get those really dirty 2p coins,' while a third commented, 'Did [the sunbeds] cremate you?' While her views on tanning have shifted, Megan admits that she still finds it hard to break free from the compulsion to hop under the UV lights. Megan has reduced her sunbed usage to four times a week and is now using her platform on TikTok to warn 'the younger generation' about the dangers of sunbed addiction She said: 'After two years, my views on sunbeds have changed. If I could go back in time, I would've never started. I just feel like I have to go on the sunbeds - it's not even a case of wanting to be tanned anymore.' 'I find it hard to turn the sunbed off once I'm on. I don't even like going on sunbeds, I dread it, but I feel like I physically have to go on.' Meanwhile, a tanning addict who used sunbeds almost daily for 15 years has said she feels 'lucky o be alive' after things took a turn for the worst. Fionnghuala Maguire, 35, from Belfast, started using sunbeds at the young age of 14 and never once applied SPF during her years of tanning - now she's warning others not to make the same mistake. She admits to using the machines routinely for more than 15 years - visiting salons as often as seven days a week at the peak of her addiction.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I'm so addicted to sunbeds I go on them four times a week - I can't stop'
At just 19, Megan Blain has said she is so addicted to sunbeds she gets them four times a week - despite her body now being covered in moles, and wishes she had never started them A woman has shared her 'addiction' to sunbeds - as she confessed to going on them four times a week for 15 minutes each time. Megan Blain first became obsessed with getting a tan when she was just 14, when she first discovered fake tan - but then decided to start using sunbeds instead. The 19-year-old said she wishes she'd never started using them and it's become a habit she can't stop. She does them so regularly, she no longer remembers what she looks like without a tan, and despite doing them four times a week, Megan also takes tanning injections five times a week to further boost her bronzed glow. "At 14 years old I started using fake tan. I was really white. My mum got the sunbed out of the garage and I thought, you know what? I'll use the sunbed while she's at work," Megan told Truly, and said she prefers to lay at the bottom of the bed as "the lighting is stronger" so she can get more of a tan on her face. She would calculate the exact amount of electric needed, and would go and top it up at the shop to ensure she kept her tan all year round. But despite being addicted, she said people will stare at her in the street because of how dark her tan is. "Loads of heads would turn in the street," she explained. "People look me up and down and laugh at it." However she knows how bad it is for her, and confessed sometimes she cries after a sunbed session. "I know the damage I'm doing to my skin, but I feel like I'm too far gone. I've got moles all over. I didn't know if the moles were cancerous," she said. For Megan, it's now more of a compulsion than something to enhance her looks, as she said she doesn't "even like doing them anymore" and wished she'd never started. "If I could speak to my 14-year-old self today, I'd say, don't change for anyone. You are who you are, you don't need to fit in with a crowd, just be yourself," she explained. Many viewers shared their thoughts on Megan's addiction, with many hoping she gets the help she needs. One person commented: "She seems like such a lovely character and I really wish her all the best for her journey to get away from the addiction." While a second penned: "It's really hard to watch because you can feel her inner fights between fearing the health consequences and not being able to stop her addiction. Still it's so important that she speaks about it to raise more awareness for this topic." According to NHS Inform, sunbeds work by blasting your skin with ultraviolet (UV) rays. The rays penetrate your skin and can cause the same or stronger reaction as exposure to the sun. "The reaction you have will depend on your skin type and can include sunburn or tanning. There's no safe or healthy way to get a tan through exposure to UV rays." Using sunbeds can increase the risk of skin cancer. Exposure to UV rays is the number one cause of skin cancer in the UK. This includes melanoma which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, and the NHS stated that using a sunbed just once before the age of 35 can significantly increase your risk of melanoma. But if you do want to use one, the NHS recommends: read all safety notices before using a sunbed speak to the attendants on duty if you have any questions always wear UV blocking eyewear keep your skin moisturised before and after tanning sessions check your skin regularly for any changes Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I became addicted to tanning beds at 16, I take injections to boost it and now I'm covered in moles but can't stop
A YOUNG girl reveals she can't stop using sunbeds despite being told she looks like a dirty 2p coin. Megan Blain, who is just 19, said she first became obsessed with looking tanned at 14, but now wishes she had never started. 3 3 Speaking to Truly, she said: "I wish I didn't start now. "At 14 years old I started using fake tan. I was really white. "My mum got the sunbed out of the garage and I thought, you know what? I'll use the sunbed while she's at work. "I would calculate the exact amount of electric I've used and go top it up at the shop." Now, it has become a habit that Megan can't knock and has left her going on sunbeds four times a week for 15 minutes each time. But that's not enough for Megan, she also takes tanning injections five times a week to boost her colour. She revealed that her tan is so dark that she often gets laughed at on the street. "Loads of heads would turn in the street," she explained. "People look me up and down and laugh at it." Megan prefers to lie on the bottom of the sunbed as she claims the lighting is stronger so she can get more of a tan on her face. She said her tanning addiction has been going on for so long she has no idea what she looks like without one. And despite knowing the dangers she is putting her body through, she's unable to stop. 3 Can a £3 Gradual Tan Really Deliver a Sun-Kissed Glow without Streaks or Stained Sheets? She added: "Sometimes I'll cry after the sunbed because I know the damage I'm doing to my skin, but I feel like I'm too far gone. "I've got moles all over. I didn't know if the moles were cancerous." Megan says going on a sunbed is more of a compulsion, and that she doesn't even like doing them anymore. She also said she wished she had never started. "If I could speak to my 14-year-old self today, I'd say, don't change for anyone. You are who you are, you don't need to fit in with a crowd, just be yourself," she explained. People were quick to share their thoughts in the comments, with many hoping Megan gets the help she needs. One person wrote: "She seems like such a lovely character and I really wish her all the best for her journey to get away from the addiction." Another commented: "She is so lovely, I hope she gets help and avoids cancer." "That's what proper burnt toast looks like," penned a third. Risks of sunbeds THE promise of a constant glowing tan is too tempting for some people to deny. But while popping to the sunbed shop may seem harmless, people who use tanning beds should be aware of the risks. Approximately 10 per cent of the population of Northern Europe use sunbeds on a regular basis, the World Health Organization says. Some people use them for years on end, accumulating risk of serious disease. We are here to give you the lowdown on sunbeds and if they are safe to use. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), sunbeds are as dangerous as smoking. Like the sun, they give out harmful UV rays that damage the DNA in your skin cells. Over time, this may lead to malignant melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer - studies have shown. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there is significant evidence to show that using tanning beds causes melanoma. They report that sunbeds increase the risk of skin cancer by up to 20 per cent, and also state that they have no positive benefits to our health. Cancer Research back this statistic, adding that " there is no such thing as a safe tan from UV radiation". One study found that sunbeds can almost double the risk of cancer compared to never using them - with women 83 per cent more likely to develop the disease. While some people think tanning beds are safer than sitting out in the midday sun, according to Cancer Research, the risk is still twice as high when compared to spending the same amount of time in the Mediterranean sun at lunch time. The Sunbed Association claim there is not enough evidence to link sunbed use with melanoma, adding: "It is over-exposure and burning that will increase a risk of skin cancer, not responsible UV exposure." But the WHO says: "The majority of tanning parlours provide inadequate advice to their customers. "The use of eye protection such as goggles or sunglasses should be mandatory. "However, as sunbed users aim to have an even tan, they often decide against protecting any part of their body." Referring to the link with skin cancer, the world health experts add: "Sunbeds for self-tanning purposes have been available for the last two decades and due to the long latency period for skin cancer and eye damage it has been difficult so far to demonstrate any long-term health effects. "Even though the causes of malignant melanoma are not fully understood, tumour development appears to be linked to occasional exposure to intense sunlight. "Sunbeds subject their users to intermittent high exposures of UVA and UVB radiation – this may provide the ideal setting for the development of malignant skin cancer. "However, the few epidemiological studies that have been carried out to date have not provided any consistent results." Despite the WHO's cautious stance on the skin cancer link, it discourages the use of sunbeds, quoting an expert who said the use of tanning parlours is like "an industrial-scale radiation exposure experiment". Regardless of skin cancer, sunbeds don't just have long-term health risks. Users have reported a range of short-term symptoms including itching, dryness and redness of skin, freckling and photosensitivity. Common outcomes in the longer term, especially in fair-skinned people, may involve blistering of the skin. " Sagging and wrinkling of the skin are an almost certain price to be paid by frequent sunbed users", the WHO says - not quite the outcome you hope for when going to the sunbed shop for a beautiful, youthful look. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Pale is beautiful though."
