A BRONZED body is considered the height of glamour. Every year we spend vast amounts of money on transforming the colour of our skin.

The most popular way to achieve that perfect tan is on a trip abroad - if you can afford it - but with tanning shops springing up on every other street corner, sunbeds offer punters, particularly in the relatively cool climes of North-East England, the chance to change their skin tones much closer to home.

While they may be cheap and practical, however, sunbeds are by no means immune from the dangers of ordinary sun exposure.

According to a report by the British Medical Association, the chances of developing some forms of skin cancer doubles with frequent sunbed use.

The BMA wants all sunbed users to be warned of the dangers and is urging the Government to launch a campaign highlighting the hazards of tanning.

"I would describe sunbeds as being alongside smoking and obesity as major public health risks," says Dr Nick Lowe, a consultant dermatologist in London. "There is absolutely no doubt that they are profoundly damaging to the skin and not only from the point of view of increased risk of skin cancer."

According to Dr Lowe, sunbeds can cause premature ageing and adverse reactions to antibiotics and contraceptive pills, resulting in rashes or loss of skin colour.

"People who go to them are fooling themselves that they are not doing any damage," he says. "The tragedy is that they will not see the damage for 15-20 years because it takes that long for skin ageing and some skin cancers to occur."

Dr Lowe is quick to dispel the popular myth that time spent on a sunbed helps prepare the skin for sun exposure on holiday, pointing out that the type of tan achieved on a sunbed offers no protection. "A suntan is not a sign of good health," he says. "The tan is a reaction from the skin to protect itself from ultraviolet damage."

The British Photodermatology Group, made up of specialist doctors, recommends that sunbeds should not be used at all. But if they are used, the group of experts says that this should be limited to no more than two courses a year of no more than ten sessions each.

Despite the regular health warnings and adverse publicity, sunning the body remains one of the UK's most popular pastimes. But when did the belief that brown is beautiful begin?

In Victorian times, pale skin was considered the most beautiful tone a person could have. While the working classes had dark complexions from toiling in the open air, a paler look, achieved through a life of sitting indoors drinking tea, was celebrated as a sign of class and wealth.

According to Nicola Moulton, health and beauty editor at Marie Claire, this all changed in the 1940s.

"Attitudes changed when wealthier people started going abroad for their holidays. A suntan became like a badge of affluence and success. Just as people say that black clothing makes you look thinner, brown skin can make you look more streamlined. Spots are evened out by the tan and the lines on your face are smoothed out.

"When summer begins I think people start to feel embarrassed by their pale skin so a bit of colour takes the edge off that."

Moulton says she is constantly shocked by the extent to which people use sunbeds and spend time in the sun without adequate protection, but she offers some insight into their motives for doing so.

"I think people know the risks but they still do it because in the short-term they want the sense of well-being you get from tanned skin. The worst thing is that people even like getting burnt because they think it means they will go brown. I'd like to think things are changing but I don't see it and I see tanning shops spring up all the time."

Beauty guru Moulton is highly sceptical about our obsession with the leathery look. "I think a deep, thick tan can look very 1980s," she says. "Pale, freckled skin or very white skin can look extremely beautiful and many advertising campaigns like Estee Lauder now use models that are much paler than they used to be."

It is possible, of course, to achieve the bronzed look without exposing yourself to any harmful rays and artificial tanning products have improved dramatically in recent years. Moulton says: "You can now achieve a great tan out of a bottle without looking like a streaky rasher of bacon. The foundations for these products are much better now and they come in many different forms, like milks and sprays."

What's more, in the last few months some department stores have started offering 60-second body airbrushes. Pay £50 and you can have your body sprayed from all sides with a fine bronzing mist.

The Sunbed Association, which represents Britain's growing army of sunbed operators, manufacturers and suppliers, insist that sunbeds "offer a controlled environment when tanning, where sessions can be monitored and recorded to avoid UV over-exposure. This is certainly not the case when tanning outdoors".

The association says it recognises the dangers of UV over-exposure and so ensures its members operate to a strict code of practice on sunbed use.

Staff in the industry are also trained how to use equipment responsibly, the association adds.

In a bid to put the industry's side of the story the first National Sunbed Awareness Day is taking place on April 30.

Dr Lowe would prefer people to stick to fake tans. "Artificial sprays which contain DHA are very safe but you must use a sunscreen to protect the skin.

"My advice is to live a full and active outdoor life with protective clothing and sunscreen. There is no rational need for sunbeds."

l Tanning advice from the 1950s. See Tuesday's Echo Woman