Man is warned he could be 'killing himself' with tanning injections

Man, 22, who ‘won’t leave the house without a tan’ is warned he could be ‘killing himself’ with illegal melanin injections he buys online – costing £1,000 a month

• Jimmy Featherstone, 22, from Hull, East Yorkshire, buys illegal products online 
• Spent two days bed bound after first time using tanning injections at age of 18 
• Dr Sara Kayat warned unregulated injections could be causing ‘significant harm’

A man who spends £1000 on his fake tanning addiction has been warned he could be ‘killing himself’ by injecting illegal melanin products he buys online. 

Jimmy Featherstone, 22, from Hull, East Yorkshire, spent two days bed bound feeling ‘really hot and sick’ after he used fake tanning injections for the first time at the age of 18.  

But he wasn’t deterred from purchasing the unregulated products online and continues inject himself with the tanning agent, which works by pumping your body with an artificial hormone that increases melanin production. 

Appearing on This Morning today, Dr Sara Kayat warned that there’s little research into the safety of the jabs, which could be causing users ‘significant harm’.  

Jimmy Featherstone, 22, from Hull, East Yorkshire, spends £1000 on his fake tanning addiction – including using illegal melanin products he buys online

Jimmy started using tanning products and going on sun-beds at 15 after being inspired by his glamorous mother, but soon graduated to using injectable tanning agents.  

‘You can just buy them online,’ Jimmy said. ‘You get them within two to three days and they come in little pots, and you do it everyday. 

‘The first time I did that I was 18. I was in bed for about two days I was really poorly, I was really hot and sick. I still do it now and I feel I’m used to what the liquid does to my body.’ 

When asked why he is so determined to make his skin darker, he said: ‘I feel it makes me better once I’ve got a tan. I don’t leave the house without a tan. 

Appearing on This Morning today, Jimmy revealed he spent two days bed bound feeling ‘really hot and sick’ after he used fake tanning injections for the first time at the age of 18

‘It makes me feel good about myself, some people won’t leave the house without make-up. I won’t leave without tan.’  

But Dr Sara warned that the illegal injections could be hiding other chemicals not advertised by the product, and that it’s impossible to know the side effects these products could have.  

‘These injections are illegal in the UK,’ she said. ‘It means they are unregulated, firstly they have no safety or effectiveness or quality ratings with them. We don’t know the potential side effects could be to your body. 

‘We don’t know what else is in them in addition to the advertised tanning agent. There could be other chemicals in there that could be causing significant harm. Because they are unregulated it’s not something we can promote.’ 

However Jimmy argued with the doctor: ‘But the outcome for me, they do work, so.’ 

Dr Sara Kayat warned that the injections have littler research into their safety behind them, and could be causing users ‘significant harm’

Jimmy argued that he follows up his injectable tanning agent by going onto a sun-bed as the product suggests, but the doctor said there is ‘no safe way to tan’

She replied: ‘There are lots of things that work in this world but are doing you damage? Essentially you could be potentially be killing yourself for a tan’. 

Jimmy argued that he follows up his injectable tanning agent by going onto a sun-bed as the product suggests. 

Dr Sara went on: ‘Unfortunately, there is no safe way to tan. We know sun beds can increase your risk of skin cancer by up to 20 per cent. 

‘The way these work is they are artificial hormones that work to trigger your pigment cells in your skin to produce more melanin and that together with the sun is going to augment that even further and give you more of a tan. But the two things together aren’t safe’. 

Jimmy has previously revealed his ambitions to look like his ‘plastic fantastic’ idol – a Ken doll, and spends £10,000 a year on cosmetic work including lip fillers, cheek fillers, botox and veneers.  

Jimmy has previously revealed his ambitions to look like his ‘plastic fantastic’ idol – a Ken doll, and spends £10,000 a year on cosmetic work including lip fillers, cheek fillers, botox and veneers 

He said: ‘I have always been someone who wants to stand out from the crowd.

‘And now I even want to look a bit more out there than I already do, I want to look more plastic, that’s the aesthetic I like. 

‘If I had to describe what I want to look like it would be a Ken doll, I just think he’s plastic fantastic and looks amazing.

‘I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea but I don’t care, I’m doing what makes me happy.’

Jimmy, who says he would like to get a nose job next, currently works at his friend’s boutique in Hull doing promotional work. 

He is due to appear on an upcoming reality TV show which he has described as the ‘Yorkshire version of TOWIE’, which doesn’t have a name or release date yet. 

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