Posted: Thursday 23 September 2010

Fake it, Don’t Bake it – Scotland tackles Skin Cancer

Students from Kilmarnock College have helped to break a world record at Scotland's biggest health, lifestyle, fashion and beauty event - Girls Day Out.

The College supplied 100 of its best Arts and Social Science - and Beauty students to be ‘fake baked' using tanning product ‘Fake Bake' in the aid of promoting skin cancer awareness. 

The former world record for spray tanning was 67 spray tans in one hour - sprayed by just one tanning technician. However, that was smashed yesterday when 78 bronzed beauties were tanned in just one hour.

More than 75,000 cases of non melanoma cancer are recorded in the UK annually. The most dangerous form of skin cancer - melanoma cancer - is the second most deadly form of cancer in the 15-34 age group.

The 100 Kilmarnock College students descended on Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium on Monday (20 September) to help smash the world record. Lisa Fulton, Fake Bake's expert tanner and international training manager was the only person allowed to spray but was assisted by a team from Fake Bake loading up her spray guns that quickly ran out as she stormed through product after product while tanning the girls at lightning pace.

Elaine Hutton, curriculum manager for Kilmarnock College's beauty department, said: "We were honoured to be asked to help break this world record. Our students are always up for a challenge, but this was their biggest yet. Girls Day Out is an excellent way of promoting health and wellbeing and the Fake Bake challenge will help promote that faking it, is definitely the way to tan now."

Theresa Hawkins, Curriculum Manager for Arts and Social Science, said: "Our Arts and Social Science students wanted to showcase how we combine brains and beauty. They were keen to put into practice their firm belief that, as responsible citizens, we should raise the awareness of a healthy tanning option in Europe's fake tan capital. Kilmarnock College always strives to promote the health and wellbeing of all our students and staff."

Glasgow entrepreneur and Fake Bake CEO Sandra McClumpha has a history of educating youngsters on the dangers of un-manned, coin operated sun-beds. And this latest initiative is designed to raise awareness as Scotland enters winter when sun-bed use can increase as users risk their health for a year-round tan.

She said: "After lengthy campaigning a bill was passed earlier this year to ban under-18s from using sun-beds, but it's vital that we use every opportunity to keep this life-threatening issue in the minds of sun-bed users of all ages."

Fake Bake's expert tanner and international training manager, Lisa Fulton has left countless girls glowing in recent weeks while practicing her speed of technique ahead of the record attempt.

Lisa explains: "I've worked in the beauty industry for 10 years and have been with Fake Bake for eight of those. I've probably tanned thousands of girls in that time but never anything like this. I did 75 girls for Miss Teen UK at one time but that literally took hours. I know I'm fast but the world record has been my biggest challenge yet!"

The Girls Day Out show takes place at Glasgow's SECC from 5th - 7th November and is Scotland's biggest ever health, lifestyle, fashion and beauty event. In its first year in 2009 Scots ladies gave it a resounding fake-tanned, French manicured thumbs up with well over 12,000 women flocking to the show over three days.

Visitors to the show can relax at either the Champagne or Cocktail Bars, have manicures or eyelash extensions, brave a brand new hairstyle or even leave with dazzling whitened teeth. With cookery demonstrations by some of Scotland's top chefs, makeovers, fashion SOS's with No.1 Magazine and much more the show is even bigger and better than last year.

Notes:
•A media calling notice for Monday's record attempt was issued on Wednesday 15 September

•All the girls being spray tanned during the record attempt have been kindly supplied by Erin Gavin Agency, the Score Angels, MA Dance Crew, and Kilmarnock College

•Through her government supported work Sandra secured 13,784 signatures which were presented to Downing Street in the celebrity backed ‘Save Your Skin' campaign

•The ‘Save Your Skin' campaign is an educational initiative started by Sandra McClumpha in 2006 to raise awareness amongst teenagers of the importance of protecting and looking after their skin.

•More info on the dangers of sun exposure can be found at www.saveyourskin.co.uk

•The Girls Day Out show is in its second year and is unrivalled as Scotland's biggest health, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty event.

•Tickets to the Girls Day Out show are £12 each and can be booked via www.girlsdayoutshow.co.uk

-Ends-
Further information contact:

Joanna Wilson, Beattie Communications, 01698 787847/ joanna.wilson@beattiegroup.com

Joanne Spence, Beattie Communications, 01698 787856/ joanne.spence@beattiegroup.com

<  Return to news