I rock my curves with a tan but I’ve been left scarred for life after falling for Instagram trend, says ex-Miss GB

A FORMER Miss Great Britain winner says she is permanently scarred after using a nasal tanning spray she bought on Instagram. 

Jen Atkin was desperate to be bronzed so inhaled Melanotan then used sunbeds and is now left with dark marks all over her forehead. 

Jen AtkinJen Atkin has a ‘permanent’ dark mark on her forehead after using nasal tanning spray[/caption]

The former Miss Great Britain winner claims to have tried everything to get rid of itJen Atkin

The 30-year-old, who won the 2020/2021 pageant, said: “Sunbeds and tanning have always been a priority for me.

“I’m a curvy girl but I always feel like I can rock my curves a bit better when I’ve got a nice tan.

“Unfortunately, I decided to go to extra lengths and fell into the trend of nasal tan.

“I bought some from an Instagram account, used it twice and continued using sunbeds.

“Then I noticed a pigment starting on my forehead and, after a trip to Mexico, the pigment was huge.

“It’s something I have to live with forever now.”

Jen, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, said she’d never even thought about the colour of her skin until she was about eight years old when she started to get compliments on her bronzed look after the summer holidays.

“People would always say to me, ‘God, you tan really well, you look really tanned’,” she said.

“It was from then that I started to think, ‘Oh my God, I love I tan. I love the way I look when I’m tanned’.”

Jen said as she got older, having a glow always made her feel more confident, particularly as a size 12 beauty pageant contestant.

But she “never got on with fake tan”, only ever tanning outdoors or using sunbeds.

Aged 22, she entered her first major competition, where contestants were encouraged to be tanned.

And she’s been hooked ever since – especially during the dreary winter months.

Instant regret

Last February, Jen was scrolling on Instagram when she stumbled across a post promoting a nasal spray promising a speedy glow.

“I was about to go to Marbella for a photoshoot so I wanted to have a nice colour,” she said.

“It had been a long winter so I felt really pale and I thought the nasal tan would give me a boost.

“I’d heard about nasal tan and injectables before, but I never really fancied it because I tan so easily in the sun and used sunbeds.”

Jen used the £25 product twice – but regretted it almost instantly.

It left her with a dark brown mark on her forehead, which hasn’t budged since.

“It just appeared out of absolutely nowhere,” she said.

“I stopped using the spray and continued using sunbeds and it just got darker.

“Then I went to Mexico the next month where I was obviously in the sun all the time, and the pigment came out even worse.”

Horrific side effects

The spray, which is not legal in the UK, also made her feel incredibly sick.

Jen described it as “actually horrific”, adding: “It scared the life out of me.

“It made me feel so nauseous and weird.”

Now, after trying “literally everything”, she fears she’s stuck with the dark patch for the rest of her life.

“No matter how many creams I use, it never fades,” Jen said.

“I literally can’t walk past people without them staring at it.

“I can’t go anywhere without people asking, ‘What’s that?’.

“I started playing football last year, and I had a girl come up to me like, ‘You’ve got black all over your forehead’.

“I get comments all the time like, ‘You haven’t blended your make-up properly’, or ‘Your fake tan is coming off on your face’.

“I’ve spent so much money on products and serums to try to get rid of this pigment but nothing works.

“I can’t even cover it with make-up, it’s so dark.”

Warning to others

When asked if she’s been to the doctor about the “scar”, Jen, who is also a country singer and plays football for Healing Hotspurs FC Womens, said: “No, because I’m absolutely mortified. They’ll just call me stupid.”

She hopes her experience can act as a warning to any other “tan addicts”.

“I really want to warn others against the use of nasal tans, and encourage safer tanning generally,” Jen, who has now sworn off sunbeds, said.

“So many people use them so you never think you’re going to have an issue, but obviously I’m one of the people that did, and it only took one or two times for it to make such a difference, and now I’m stuck with this mark on my head forever.

“Please don’t do it. It’s just not worth it.”

Jin RathodJen won the pageant in 2020/21[/caption]

Jen AtkinShe said she has always loved tanning, but wanted a boost in 2022[/caption]

The SunThe 30-year-old said: ‘I literally can’t walk past people without them staring at it’[/caption]

Jen AtkinJen said she struggles to cover the ‘pigment’ with make-up[/caption]

Jen AtkinThe country singer has sworn off sun beds for life[/caption]

The Sun‘I’ve spent so much money on products to try to get rid of this pigment’, she said[/caption]

Jen AtkinJen still loves to tan, but does now does it naturally or from a bottle[/caption]

Jen plays football for Healing Hotspurs FC WomensJen Atkin

Jen said she is too embarrassed to go to the doctorJen Atkin

Jen AtkinJen entered her first major competition aged 22[/caption]

She wants people to use her experience as a warning against nasal tanning spraysJen Atkin

Jen AtkinJen said: ‘Please don’t do it. It’s just not worth it’[/caption]