READING Kathryn Dawes' harrowing experience of developing skin cancer in yesterday's Worcester News is enough to make the most dedicated sun worshipper think twice before frazzling themself on the beach.

Undoubtedly, the best way to avoid the potential deadly disease but still acquire a deeper shade of brown is to fake it.

But I'm sure I'm not alone in my repeated failures to get a golden glow from a bottle. Dozens of half-used self-tans lie abandoned in my bathroom cabinet after they all resulted in a look that would make an orange and white zebra jealous. I'd heard of the latest air-brush tanning craze, but when I discovered it involved stripping down to a pair of paper knickers while a stranger sprayed on your tan, I wasn't too keen.

So when I discovered a new spray-on phenomenon sweeping the country, in which a machine squirts on the spray in the privacy of your own booth, I thought I'd give it a stab. However, as I hot-footed it down to Sun on the Run in Worcester's The Tything to undergo my beauty treatment I suddenly stopped in my tracks. I recalled a scene in the hit US show Friends where Ross goes for a similar treatment but gets confused and ends up being sprayed only on one side, emerging orange and traumatised.

Oh dear. Surely that won't happen to me? Thankfully, the assistant in the shop was very relaxing and thoroughly took me through the procedure, which cost £15.

All I needed to do was undress, put a cap over my hair, rub lots of special cream into my feet and hands to prevent them turning orange, then enter the booth.

I pressed the green button, shut my eyes and waited. Within seconds I was being sprayed all over my front. After 30 seconds it stopped, I turned around and it started again, spraying my back.

After leaving the booth I had to rigorously rub the product in with a towel and use a baby wipe on my feet and hands.

Minutes later, I was back at the office, instantly looking slightly more tanned.

Slowly, as the day went on my tan really began to develop and by the next day I was looking a golden shade of brown.

A few orange patches had formed around my ankles but scrubbed off with exfoliator. Overall I was really impressed. Not only was it quick and easy and relatively cheap, it also left me with an even, natural looking tan. Sun beds? Who needs them?

How to achieve the right results

n CHOOSE THE BEST TAN: Go into a shop and patch-test half a dozen in stripes along the inside of your arm. Let them develop, and then determine which is most like the colour you go when you have a natural suntan.

EXFOLIATE: Do a thorough job, particularly on dry patches - it makes the difference between au natural and patches.

SHAVE/WAX LEGS: The natural exfoliation that happens each time you shave or wax will fade the tan much more quickly.

MOISTURISE: Use a fragrance-free product because the fragrance can sometimes affect the self-tan chemical. Be generous, pay particular attention to areas that are prone to being drier. Leave additional product on knees and elbows.

APPLY: Using thin rubber gloves is best. Apply it in sections. Start at the ankle, and imagine your leg was divided into quarters: front of the shin, calf, top front of the thigh, and back of the thigh. Move in an upward stroke, against the growth of the hair. Do the knee and your foot last with minimal product. After your legs, do your abdomen, back, arms, face and neck. When doing your arms, follow the same method as you did for your legs, then do your hands and elbows.

WASH HANDS: Do this regularly throughout the process if you don't wear gloves.

REAPPLY MOISTURISER to hands, elbows knees and feet.

Bronzers tried and tested

Californian Summer self-tan wipe for face and body light-medium, £1.75 each, but Superdrug had them on offer at two for £2.50.

Easy to apply, just like a big flannel. It dried very quickly but took a long time to develop (it was put on at lunch but only noticeable next day). Quite subtle.

Score: 4/5

The Sanctuary Spa Convent Garden, Boots, £9.95, included self-tan mousse, body lotion, body scrub and shimmer balm.

I carefully exfoliated and moisturised with the excellent Sanctuary products before applying the tan. The mousse is a seaweed green colour, which may be off-putting, but does show up so you can make sure it's even. Although it promised a "delicate fragrance," it had a faintly acrid aroma. The frothy mousse was really light to apply but slow to develop. Not for instant results.

Score: 4/5

Palmer Cutler It... Is range includes exfoliator £9, moisturiser £11, gel tan £18.99. All available at www.palmer cutler.com

This range is fantastic. The exfoliator smelt lovely and the moisturiser left the skin really smooth. The tanning gel was great, easy to apply and because it is clear it doesn't mark your clothes. It gave me a bronzed, even tan.

Score: 5/5

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze tinted self-tan, £10.99.

Simple to apply tinted gel - I could see where it had been applied so less streaking.

It washed off hands easily and was slightly glittery. It smelt nice and dry in about 40 minutes.

In three hours it developed in to a nice natural light bronze. Would use again.

Score: 4/5

Palmer Cutler It... is range, exfoliator £9, moisturiser £11, gel tan £18.99. All available at www.palmercutler.com

This range was fantastic. The exfoliator smelt lovely and the moisturiser left my skin feeling really smooth.

The tanning gel was a great product that was easy to apply and because it is clear it doesn't mark your clothes. It left me with a bronzed and even tan.

Added bonus is that it is also odourless.

Score: 5/5