Parents encouraging pre-teens to get fake tans

London, July 13 : Parents Down Under are permitting their kids as young as eight to have regular spray tans in order to deter them from sunbaking and solariums.

Thus, the young girls are getting fake tan applied before they go for birthday parties, holidays and social events, in order to have that bronze-look just like their favourite stars.

Victoria Farrelly, owner 'Tan in Style', said that she gets tan bookings from young girls at her Double Bay salon.

"For the young, young ones under 10, it's for special occasions or going away for summer holidays, or photos or something where they want to be tanned,'' The Daily Telegraph quoted her, as saying.

She added: "Older ones, 13 and upwards, are just getting them like they get manicures and pedicures. I'll get five or six schoolgirls all at once, coming in after school. They just want to look like models in the magazines.''

A Year 4 student of Rose Bay, Georgie Starr, goes for occasional spray tans, especially when her family is about to go for a holiday. And her mum, Rachael, said that she allows her 10-year-old to have spray tans as it gave her confidence and wasn't harmful to her pale, freckled skin.

"Before we go away, she has one. I think she's then less likely to think: I'm going to lie in the sun and get colour,'' said Starr.

ANI