Don’t suffer for the sake of summer beauty

For those getting ready to holiday, a sunbed session or other beauty treatment may be on the cards, but Carmarthenshire County Council’s public protection department is reminding people to take care when preparing their ‘beach-bodies’.

Customers visiting a tanning salon should check that the sun bed is fitted with tubes that comply with European legislation – that is, with a UV output of 0.3 or less.

Customers should always be provided with eye protection, health information for using the sun bed and be assisted with assessing their skin type.

All sun bed premises should display the relevant yellow warning posters and manage the sun beds appropriately, which includes excluding under 18s, as required by law.

The council’s trading standards team carries out checks to ensure beds are tested and verified. Any sun bed operators that have not yet registered with the council should make contact.

Summer is also a popular time of year for people to have body piercings, tattoos, and beauty treatments such as electrolysis, teeth whitening and manicures.

Customers are being urged to visit reputable salons for piercings and permanent or semi-permanent tattoos, and if in doubt to ask the operator for their photo ID card and premises certificate which all registered operators have been issued with.

Salons offering treatments such as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal should be registered with the Health Inspectorate Wales.

Many other treatments, such as teeth whitening, micro-dermabrasion and nail treatments, can also pose potential health risks if not carried out correctly, hygienically or using the correct equipment.

If in doubt contact the council’s environmental health or trading standards department for advice.

Cllr Jim Jones, executive board member for public protection, said: “Safety should always come first – we don’t want anyone to suffer for the sake of beauty.”

To check or report a premises, call 01267 234567.