A-listers including Blake Lively and Melania Trump are bringing back the tan - but experts warn Gen Z are seeking out sunbeds and 'frightening' nasal sprays to get their glow

Britons have, so far, been subject to another dire summer, with hot days few and far between.

But as chances to sunbathe slip away, and knowledge of the harmful effects of too much sun exposure is difficult to escape, celebs and influencers are turning back to an old favourite method, fake tan, to give themselves a little summery glow.

Plenty of millennials have a love/hate relationship with fake tan; something many reached for in their teenage years in order to avoid looking 'pale'.

But in the noughties and the 2010s, as dodgy, unbranded products began springing up across the landscape, many people who used fake tan ended up with an undesirable 'orange' hue - prompting the insult that one had been 'tangoed'. 

But products have evolved significantly since the days of supermarket-own bottles of tan, meaning fake tan has had something of a resurgence in recent months. 

Blake Lively was tanned to perfection as she attended an afterparty in New York City following the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine this week

However, while many people are making use of the more sophisticated, and safer, bottled tanning products, concerns are being raised over young people using tanning enhancers which pose health risks to prolong tans naturally. 

Just this week, A-listers have been showing off their stunning golden hues as they step out at events both in the UK and across the pond. 

Blake Lively, who has been known to fall in and out of love with fake tan over the years, looked beautifully bronzed as she showed off her figure in an outfit inspired by her husband's Deadpool character this week.

The actress, 36, attended the afterparty following the screening of the new Deadpool & Wolverine film in New York City on Monday with Ryan Reynolds.

Lucy Mecklenburg showed off her bronzed look while on holiday in Portugal recently

Melania Trump, who has long favoured the deep tan, looked bronzed as she attended the RNC in Milwaukee last week

Vogue Williams has been showing off her bronzed body on Instagram as she applies fake tan 

Showing off her perfectly bronzed pins in a strapless mini dress, she looked tanned and fabulous on the red carpet.

Meanwhile, over in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, first lady hopeful Melania Trump donned a scarlet suit to join her husband on stage at the Republican National Convention last week, where his nomination to become the party's presidential candidate was confirmed.

As she arrived on stage, Melania showed off a deep tan; a look she often sports, as does her husband. 

However, as the tanned look makes a resurgence and celebs including Lucy Mecklenburg and Vogue Williams jump on the bandwagon, concerns are being raised over other methods people are using in order to achieve a bronzed hue.

Professor Caitriona Ryan, co-founder of the Institute of Dermatologists, says she believes sunbed use among young people is 're-emerging' in recent times.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, she said: 'I've had several patients die who, in their youth, used sunbeds.'

She added she believes the invention of fake tan has significantly reduced instances of melanoma and other skin cancers; but she's concerned such illnesses may be on the rise again thanks to patients in their 20s turning to sunbeds to achieve a 'base' tan.

The newspaper also cited research that suggests people looking for a top tier tan are turning to illegal nasal sprays in order to maintain their tans.

The sprays contain melanotan, a synthetic hormone which stimulates pigment cells to produce more melanin - which is what tans skin when it's exposed to UV rays.

Initially, the hormone was developed to treat patients with photo sensitivity to light, but it has not been officially approved by boards in the EU, nor the US.

Ryan likened the 'illegal' sprays to 'snorting cocaine' in how they infiltrate the human body once ingested.

Kevin O'Hagan, cancer prevention manager at the Irish Cancer Society, said the side effects of using the drug are 'frightening'; they include headaches, vision loss, kidney problems and heart damage.

He said: 'It's worrying, people are really being exposed. Between the UV rays from the sunbeds and from melanotan, your risk of skin cancer is extremely high.'