ACTRESS Gemma Atkinson has backed a campaign to show people the ugly truth behind a sunbed tan.

The former Hollyoaks star, from Bury, had her face scanned in a UV photo booth as part of Cancer Research UK’s R UV UGLY campaign.

It gives visitors a close-up of the cosmetic damage, often invisible to the naked eye, caused by over exposure to UV, both from sunbeds and the sun. The 28-year-old said: “I was very surprised with my scan results. I felt a huge relief knowing I had minimal damage.

“I believe this is down to my sun screen. I always use SPF 50 on my face and I use a moisturiser with a built-in SPF too.

“I think people assume If you wear a high sunscreen you won’t tan. That’s not the case.”