Tanning | Mother Defends Spray Tanning Toddler

[The Ed.]

Another day, another crazy story from the world of child beauty pageants. You may remember the American lady who put her young daughter in a sunbed? Well, now there's the mother who's defending her two-year old daughter's monthly spray tan habit.

Savanna Jackson was entered into her first beauty pageant at ten months old. That's before she can walk, speak, use the toilet on her own and probably feed herself without getting it in her hair. Her mother has since spent £3000 a month on pageants and all the beauty treatments and products they require, including a monthly spray tan.

Mother, Lauren Jackson explains, "I just want her to have the best possible opportunity to win. Besides, Savanna loves it. Now, it's a must for every pageant."

Says who?

"To me pageants are about having fun, building up her self-esteem and giving my girl the best possible opportunity in life." Well yes, I suppose she's right...if we lived in a parallel universe where everything meant the exact opposite.

Clearly, the real danger of these pageants is the dose of crazy that it doles out to pushy parents. Admittedly, there's no physical health risks involved in spray tanning, even if it is done on a teeny-tiny person but what about the risks to her teen-tiny mind? These beauty pageants are telling girls at a very young age that they're not beautiful without the tan, the make up, the hair, the heels and the dress. It's not rocket science - this is not a good thing. It doesn't matter that they can't read magazines promoting unhealthy body and beauty images; they've got crazy parents doing it for them.

Excuse the rant. I'll get back to reporting from an less bias viewpoint. Or try to.

Until then...geek on!

The Ed.

Image courtesy of SWNS

 

[tanfastic]

Oh dear, look at those orange little palms

 

[Clare_11]

Oh dear, look at those orange little palms

My first thoughts too!

 

[Min-Moo]

I'm speechless. the spray tan, the make up. It's just so wrong on so many levels and makes me sad and quite angry.:sad:

 

[ABDiva]

I think sometimes people go to far. But i cant help but find her very cute, poor lil thing her little orange palms haha
Maybe a bit young for it but cute all the same

 

[kinkyboots33]

poor wee angel.... :-(

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek

 

[Studiosparkle]

I am sad. Poor little girl. x

 

[gr8nailz]

This is a very controversial subject here in the U.S. Mommies are spray tanning their precious little 2 - 3 years olds but do these toddlers really have the cognitive abilities to comprehend pageants at all? Or to make the decision on their own to choose to do pageants? Or are they influenced by their mommies?

Or is it their mommies influencing them because they want to live vicariously through their precious little darlings?

 

[jujojones]

I could hardly get my two year old to sit down to trim his nails!! Let alone do a host of other beauty treatments!! Let kids be kids not dolls!! Thua poor little girl is going to have some huge issues when she grows up!! Poor lamb x

 

[AvivaLabsUK]

It sounds like the little girl is having the tan done by a professional.

Raises an interesting question, should a professional spray tanner agree to tan a two year old? From a manufacturers point of view should they provide guidance or even go further and state that this kind of use is prohibited with their products. That then raises another issue, if manufacturers were to take a stance what age would be OK?

I would be interested to know what professionals think. I guess if professionals and manufacturers came to a consensus we could reduce this sort of behaviour and perhaps make it socially unacceptable. I am of course assuming most people find it a bit iffy due to all the reasons given so far.

Also, I doubt anyone can say it is definitely safe as I'm not aware of any meaningful trials involving 2 year olds. Their skin/lungs are clearly still growing and changing and at the end of the day spray tanning does cause a real reaction in the skin. Safe for adults but on young developing skin, would have to do a lot me research before I would call that one.

 

[Male Storme]

Is it a daughter this woman has, or a doll?

If you looked at the pic without reading the story, you would assume the 2 year old was a doll !!!

Very wrong on many levels.

 

[chocolatepickle]

I think it is awful, children should feel beautiful being themselves and know that they are beautiful just as they are.
To me that little girl would look prettier without all that makeup on so we could see her natural child soft, pink cheeks and beautiful big eyes.

My children are the most stunning little things I'VE ever seen, how can a parent think their child is anything less then perfect just as they are?
It really doesn't bode well for the way they see themselves as they get older.

From a professional point of view, I wouldnt do it and have turned down work on more then one occasion as I was not comfortable and did not want to be associated with spraying young children.
I know many places/people do and will, but I just dont feel happy about being one of those people.

 

[RebeccaQ]

I agree with all the comments so far...she would look such a pretty little thing without the make-up and tan. What is it with people not wanting children to be children anymore!!

My 2 year old would not enjoy the spray tan experience (nor would my 5, 9 or 12 year old), she's comfy in her own skin and even with the haemangioma she has on her nose, she's just beautiful, as are my other children.

Of course this is all mum's doing...a 2 year old requesting a spray tan...I don't think so. It's more likely she'd request some time sat on mum's knee reading a good book xx

 

[AvivaLabsUK]

Does anyone know how to create a Salon Geek survey?

We could do something like:-

At what age would you refuse to spray tan?

0 - 2 years
3 - 5 years
6 - 8 years
9 -11 years
12 - 14 years
15 - 16 years

 

[jacqueline]

The pageants are big over here and there are lot of these kids around, just watching Toddlers and Tiara when I flick through the channels makes me cringe, some of these mothers are just plain awful!

 

[skindeep72]

IMO this is a disgrace. For 1 no parent should ever have her child spray tanned and 2 I honestly believe that pageants should be banned.

I have never entered my son in any competition as I did not want anyone judging him saying if he was a bonny baby or not. In a mother/fathers eyes their children are the most precious gifts in their lives so to have someone saying yes or no really gets to me. I know there are many comps in the UK and are not like the ones in the US but I believe it is now getting just like the states. There are dancing comps now where children are getting spray tanned and applying make up so where does it start and end.

Does anyone remember the child from the US who was entering in Pageants every year. Hair, make up etc. A beautiful wee thing even without all the extras her mum put on her. Well, I cant remember her name but lets just say some idiot who seen her on tv and in the papers, broke into the home, abducted her and killed her.

I feel that these parents are probably living their lives through their daughters lives. Maybe this is the life they always wanted in their late teens etc but never worked out the way they wanted so they are putting their children through it, thinking if they do well now they will do even better later on in life. Well it doesnt work out like that either. Some end up feeling insecure as no-one will accept them without the make up or tan. Or they may end up on drugs.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it but this is how I feel and my honest opinion:sad:

 

[Nailjems]

The baby doesn't look too happy in the photo! Has her hair been bleached too?
Mums vicariously living through their children. Its a real shame. I think there should be an minimum age limit at the pageants or a natural only rule.
It's just freaky and who judges this as beautiful?? The organisers and prize givers are to blame. Set a precedent and have a natural baby win!

 

[Feline]

Isn't this type of thing classed as a form of abuse?

Shame on these people :evil:

 

[jujojones]

Does anyone know how to create a Salon Geek survey?

We could do something like:-

At what age would you refuse to spray tan?

0 - 2 years
3 - 5 years
6 - 8 years
9 -11 years
12 - 14 years
15 - 16 years

sorry not sure how to create a poll - :o

but i would comfortably tan from 12 - 14 years with parental supervision - not that i have many that age booking in - only ever dancers in that age x

 

[gr8nailz]

This is an important issue. Does the responsibility lie with the professional doing the tanning? They have a business to run and if the product isn't harmful to the child, are they really doing anything wrong? Or do they garner the business and become known as "toddler tanners"?

I would imagine if most professional spray tanners declined this type of business but someone else decided they'd take it on and became known as a "toddler tanner," that someone could corner the market. It is an industry and we are here to make money.

Assuming the products used are safe for use on children of this age, if an industry colleague of mine tanned one of these toddlers, I wouldn't take issue with my colleague.

The problem lies with the parent.