Tag: Tanning Salon

Spray Tanning On The Rise Not Just Celebrities

Probably thanks in no small part to celebrities, the appeal of spray tanning seems to be on the rise. As with most things, there can be pros and cons to getting this type of tan.

In this article I will give you both the pros and cons to spray tanning as well as a general overview of how it’s done and some things you can do to prepare your skin so the results are more effective and attractive.

Tanning this way means that you are literally being sprayed all over your body, with a compound that is comprised of an element that darkens your skin, DHA. DHA has been declared safe by the FDA for this type of use, which is one of the biggest “pros” to this type of tan.

Even so, you do need to be very careful around the eyes.

Since this is basically just a temporary stain you are adding to your skin, it does not have the same long lasting, harmful effects that UV rays have. Whether you get those rays in a tanning bed or at the beach, UV rays can lead to pre mature aging of the skin and possibly even skin cancer.

Even a little exposure to UV rays can cause problems. There really is no “safe” amount of rays though it is generally accepted that moderate amounts over a lifetime, particularly if you don’t ever get sun burnt, is probably not too big of a cause for alarm for most people.

Of course, there are those people who have a pre disposition to cancers of all types, not just skin cancer, and for those individuals even more caution is needed.

Anyway, back to spray tanning. You can do it at home or at local tanning salon. If you do it at home you will probably want to enlist the help of a friend since it can be tough to target all parts of your body on your own.

To increase the effectiveness here are some tips:

1. First of all pick the proper shade for your skin tone. If you are very fair skinned and you try to go ultra dark you may find it looks weird. Instead, try to take your skin up a few steps in color only.

2. Shaving before you get your tan may be a good idea since it is recommended that you don’t shave for at least 24 hours after the tan is applied.

If you get rashy after you shave, you may want to shave at least 24 hours prior to your tanning session to make sure that the rash settles down first.

2. Use an exfoliating wash prior to your tan. Getting rid of as much dried skin as possible and moisturizing afterward can make your skin smoother and less susceptible to looking “blotchy”.

Pay particular attention to those parts of your body that are rough such as elbows and feet. Making these as smooth as possible will also help ensure that they look good after the the tan is applied.

3. Be prepared to repeat the process every week or so. The tan does wash off and will fade over time. That is one of the biggest “cons”; tanning this way can end up being time consuming and costly to keep your tan looking good all season long.

Spray tanning is not without it’s issues, but for anyone who likes that “sun kissed” look it may be a better way to get that look then spending countless hours damaging your skin in the sun.

The Positives Of Sunning-Lets Talk About The Sunny Side

With all of the talk about the dangers of spending too much time out in the sun I though it might be about time for someone to talk about the positives of sunning for a change.

The entire world is always talking and dwelling in the negative side of things, why do we do that all of the time? Just trying to be careful I guess.

The first and most obvious of the positives of sunning is only cosmetic in nature, in other words, how good you look. Getting a suntan helps people with lighter skin look healthier. (I am not talking about that woman who took a good thing to the extreme and who made the news in the past month or so, she doesn’t look healthy at all.)

There is a substance in the skin, called melanin, that gets activated any time we go out in the sun. The melanin is what makes your skin darker. It is your body’s own, natural protection against the sun’s rays.

The only problem with that is that people tend to not let the melanin do it’s job in the time frame it needs to do it. They want their sun tan all at once. If they would gradually let it build up over time then the dangers of the sun would not be a problem.

Of course, letting the skin do it’s job to protect each of us up here in the northern climates is a problem. The summers just are not long enough to allow this to happen.

You know what happens, right? You work all summer on your tan and in the fall when the sun is not as strong your tan begins to fade. It continues to fade to the point that you have to start all over again in the late spring, early summer when the temperatures allow us to be outside for extended periods of time.

Of course you can elect to go to a tanning salon to maintain your tan year round if you have the budget for it.

The next positive is that the sun helps the body make Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for the health of your skin and bones. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium to keep bones and teeth, heart and other muscles strong and working properly.

The last of the positives of sunning I would like to discuss is the one that can help your newborn baby. Some doctors and nurses will tell you to let your newborn get some sunlight, indirectly of course, so they do not get jaundiced after they are born.

Jaundice occurs in the newborn because the new little body has to rid itself of an overabundance of bilirubin. Bilirubin is the byproduct of red blood cell breakdown. Babies have an overabundance of red blood cells in their bodies after the umbilical cord gets cut and their livers have to take over cleaning their blood.

The new little liver may take ten days to two weeks to become proficient at doing this itself so a little sunlight is needed to help breakdown the bilirubin.