Tanning VS. Sunless Tanners

[Dreamgirl]

Ok girls help me out here!

First things first, I have fair and sensitive skin..........
I used to be a seasonal tanner (meaning I would tan from March-August being that I built the base tan in March-April and then made a few stops back at the salon from May-August to keep the tan) since 1999. I would always get a nice tan but not too dark due to my fair complexion. Didn't really burn.

But last spring I chose to try sunless tanning because I figured it's better and healthier, right? I had never tried it before. I did my research to try and find some good tanners. I started out cheap, went to ULTA and tried a few different tanners there. But then I noticed that they smelt really bad and stained my clothes/sheets and I appeared to have some skin irritation. So I figured ok fine, time to move on to something better. I went to Macy's and tried the Clinique sunless tanner. I figured it cost a bit more but I wear Clinique makeup so it should be good. It was dermatologist tested bla bla and so I bought it. Clinique's was the worst with lasting color of about one day and it got on EVERYTHING. Went back to Macy's and bought Lancome. Major skin irritation and took that back. I also returned the Clinique and spoke with the Clinique lady. I asked her what else could I do? I seemed to be having skin reactions and I didn't like this stuff getting on all my clothes/sheets. She suggested Clarins. So I spoke with the Clarins woman and bought their sunless tanner for about $30. I figured it cost over a hundred to go tanning so 30 was acceptable. (This was all over the entire summer because now it was August) So I only used the Clarins for a few weeks then stopped because it was becoming cooler out, didn't really need to be tan anymore. BTW, this stuff doesn't rub off on anything.

So............I used the Clarins a few times over winter and used it last week, yesterday and today and I noticed I still get a little itchy like on my shoulders, neck, and shins. (This is where I seem to get irritated from sunless tanners.) Weird. Also, the smell at night sort of bothers me. A few weeks ago I was at Macy's wanting to talk to a Clarins clerk but she was on vacation. A woman working for Shiseido assisted me and I told her about my sensitive skin etc. she told me Shiseido was good for sensitve skin and I told her I would think about it but did not purchase. BTW, I don't seem to have skin reactions to any types of lotions, perfumes etc. just sunless tanners and a few shaving creams. lol

But anyway, I don't know what to do anymore. Im tired of these sunless tanners and am considering going back to tanning in the salon. I was trying to weigh out pros vs. cons between the two and really my biggest concerns (Cons) with tanning in a salon is wrinkles (don't want them Im turning 27 this summer) and I feel lazy to go all the way to the salon. But sunless tanners, I get skin irritation,stink and about 3-4 applications a week. Pros- tanning is good for your complexion and I really only have to go for about 6 weeks to build a base tan. After that maybe once a month until August. Sunless tanning- I get to stay home to do it.

What should I do? Should I try the Shiseido? Should I just go back to tanning and maybe wear spf on my face to prevent wrinkles? Any other suggestions? And please, don't tell me not to do either, I have fair skin and don't enjoy looking albino over summer. lol
Arrrg

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I don''t get your issue, I look like an albino in the summer and wouldn''t have it any other way. No tan actress has skin as nice as dita von teese and pale is in this year, just look at the red carpet girls.

Anyway, don''t go back to tanning. The CDC estimates that 90% of skin damage (wrinkles, age spots, bad textures, etc) is caused by sun damage. Not only that but 1 in 4 americans will get some kind of skin cancer, the chances are even higher when you are pale.

My friend goes to a salon and has spray tanning done and loves it. It is a finer mist so it is less likely to cause irritation since your skin breathes better and a really good salon can make it look natural.

Don''t buy the other product, they all say they are for sensitive skin, yada yada. You might look into places like Aveeno or body shop that are all natural since they might irritate less and smell less chemically.

 

[Dreamgirl]

Yeah its not really a solid pale color though and certainly not that fair, I have spots on my legs kind of like baby's skin (you know how its red/white spotty.) Otherwise, I wouldn't care.

 

[ljmorgan]

As a fair skinned gal you definitely should not be tanning (actually, no one should go out of their way to do so.) Tanning appears to "help the complexion" in that it dries your skin out, which dries out acne. See a dermatologist about your self-tanning issues, and stay out of the sun! Tanning salons will feed you all sorts of lines about how tanning is good for the skin -- they say that you need to "tan, not burn." The fact is that even tanning is causing damage to your skin -- your tan is the result of melanin being released in response to skin damage to better protect it the next time. If you go see the dermatologist about your skin sensitivities I am sure they will explain allll about tanning! Usually once you get started, you can't stop their lecturing...

 

[musey]

Date: 4/9/2008 6:40:31 PM
Author: Dreamgirl
Yeah its not really a solid pale color though and certainly not that fair, I have spots on my legs kind of like baby''s skin (you know how its red/white spotty.) Otherwise, I wouldn''t care.

I''m the same way, except I really don''t have the ability to tan. My family had a pool growing up, and even though I''d spend almost every day outside during the summer, my skin would (at most) burn and then go back to white!

Anyway, I don''t dare step into a tanning salon. It''s simply not worth it. If you want to be tan, go the airbrush route. I don''t get why you''d think your only options are the crappy lotions OR tanning beds. The airbrushing works quite well.

Though I have to say I agree with brazen... I''d take advantage of fair skin finally being ''in,'' if I were you, and take a year off from the tanning.

 

[Dreamgirl]

*Lindsey*- True. They do feed you stories that''s for sure. I know it''s bad for the skin, uh do I ever. That''s why I tried another way last year. I guess Im disappointed in sunless tanners. I thought they would be better than what they are.

musey- I thought about the airbrush route last spring. But I figured that cost so much more than tanning or sunless tanners. I think you have to go every week too. Do you know if that stains clothing?

 

[HollyS]

I''m fair and don''t tan very well. My sister tans at the snap of her fingers. She is 18 mos younger than I am. . . and looks 10 years older skin-wise.

DON''T TAN. You will have wrinkles, sun spots, etc that will start showing up in your 30''s. Go to a dermatologist and ask to see yourself under the special light that reveals your sun damage. It will scare the hell out of you; seriously. And do we need to even talk about skin cancer? ANY deliberate tanning is nutso. Even if you look pretty with a tan today, you will definitely prematurely age your skin. If you could see the huge difference between myself and my sister, you would never tan again.

Neutrogena used to have a spray-on tan in a bottle for fair skin. It worked fabulously; it was cheap, avaliable everywhere, and did not come off on my sheets/clothes/etc. And Sally Hansen makes a spray-on leg makeup that really evens out my skin tone for summertime bare legs; it doesn''t come off on my clothes either.

 

[Dreamgirl]

Holly- You know whats funny about that too is people tell me I have such beautiful skin, complexion etc and I think REALLY? Because of the tanning I did. Maybe because I was seasonal and not serious about it there isn''t as much dammage as those who tan all the time. So you suggest buying a spray on tan from a store. Where do you apply it because doesn''t it get all over the room you are spraying it? I would think that would be hard to do yourself.

 

[LegacyGirl]

I would say on average I tan maybe once a year (if I have a big event, I''ll drop by the tanning bed and use it a couple times). I use the standing one where you only have to be in there for 5 mins. I also wear sunscreen with a high SPF. I still get tan using the sunscreen. Tanning is really bad for you, but like everyone else I do enjoy the little bit of color I get. I just try to avoid it most of the time

but when I can''t I wear sunscreen.

 

[lovewhitediamonds]

Stay out of the sun (artificial sun too).
And if you are in the sun ... slather on the sunscreen if you want to look good when you are older. Bottom line.
You don''t want "leather skin" on not only your face, but neck and chest too...those rays are just so bad for your skin!

I also have sensitive skin and tried every "sunless" tanner out there -- from super $$ to drugstore stuff. I finally found something that works, maybe it can work for you too.

Aveeno Continuous Radiance Lotion

Give it a try ... Good Luck!

 

[Dreamgirl]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:31:18 PM
Author: lovewhitediamonds
Aveeno Continuous Radiance Lotion

Give it a try ... Good Luck!

I use Aveeno (Baby lotion) for hand lotion daily. I also apply this daily to my body after showering. I''ve always liked it. How often to you have to apply the Aveeno Continuous Radiance lotion? I would guess that isn''t a sunless tanner but a gradual tanner like Jergens, right? Does it stink or get on clothing as well?

 

[lovewhitediamonds]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:50:26 PM
Author: Dreamgirl

Date: 4/9/2008 10:31:18 PM
Author: lovewhitediamonds
Aveeno Continuous Radiance Lotion

Give it a try ... Good Luck!

I use Aveeno (Baby lotion) for hand lotion daily. I also apply this daily to my body after showering. I''ve always liked it. How often to you have to apply the Aveeno Continuous Radiance lotion? I would guess that isn''t a sunless tanner but a gradual tanner like Jergens, right? Does it stink or get on clothing as well?

I am extremely sensitive to perfumes/fragrance and this product doesn''t seem to bother me at all. How often to apply depends how quick you want color... I used it 1x per day for a week before going to a black tie event this winter (didn''t want to glow in the dark in my strapless dress!). It dries pretty fast -- since it''s a lotion it soaks right in... but sometimes I will use the hair dryer and blow the air on my legs for a quicker dry.

 

[Sparkster]

Please read this link before going to a tanning salon

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22748073-2862,00.html

There has been a lot of publicity recently over Claire Oliver and her campaign. She readily admits that she used to bake out in the sun a lot as a teenager so it is not proven that the solariums caused the cancer. It might have been a combination of both.

I am not sure if the term tanning salons in America is the same thing as a ''solarium'' in Australia

 

[Blair138]

I don''t want to preach-but there is no such thing as a ''base tan''. I used to believe it too, but any tan is a sign of skin damage whether you burn or tan right away. Always wear sunscreen no matter what!!!

On the other hand, I''m a pale girl too and used to be an avid tanner back in high school and college. Then I had a freaky mole and got really scared (that and I don''t want to look 65 when I''m 40). Go for a Mystic Tan at the tanning salon. Most places should offer 3 levels of it so you can go, lightly bronzed to full on dark tan. They last about a week on me but make sure to EXFOLIATE right beforehand. It stinks after you get it, and you can''t shower for 4 hours (I usually go longer so the color has more time to develop) but once you shower it goes away. Also, wear loose clothes, it shouldn''t stain but I''m always cautious...hope this helps!!!

 

[oobiecoo]

I have tanned off and on since high school. I stopped for a while because I seemed to have an allergic reaction to the actual bed or bulbs. Now I can go and it doesn''t bother me. I have tried Mystic Tan several times and I really do not like it so I would say to stay away from it. The smell is very strange and stays on you even after a few showers. The color only lasts about a week on me but I only seem much darker on my feet and a little darker on my face with the rest of my body about the same as before the spray... and I get itchy! It just isn''t worth the money to me. My future sis-in-law uses the jergens gradual tan and it looks nice... although I think she tans in a bed once in a while to so that may contribute to the color. I tan for several reasons... one being that my face gets very rosy and with a tan its hardly noticeable... another being the fact that it does seem to help with my oily skin. I know I may get blasted for this but I''m going to say stick with what works... and if that means tanning once in a while for a couple of minutes then so be it. I really don''t see how it can be any worse than people smoking, not exercising, or eating alot of processed foods as many people tend to do. Everyone has their "naughty" thing that they do... mine is tanning occasionally.

 

[Delster]

Dreamgirl I have a complexion as pale as Nicole Kidman's but without any of that beautiful creamy milkiness. Botchy doesn't even begin to describe what I am dealing with. Think mottled red, blue and deathly white and you are sort of coming close. At an outdoor swimming pool in Europe once I had a little boy go and get his friends to come take a look at my legs. I was the side show attraction for the day! You can see all of my veins through my skin. If you touch me that place will blotch red. If I am too cold or too warm I am virtually self-striping. I look like Mr Blobby!

I'm describing all this because you might think when I say 'PLEASE DON'T TAN!' that I don't really know how much you need to do it to even out your skin tone. Believe me, I know how tempting it is. When I have a fake tan my skin looks so much nicer than it does au naturale.

I completely hear you on how disappointing the fake tanners are on pale skin. Even the 'pale' version of the Johnson & Johnson's sunless moisturiser thing (I don't know if you have the same thing over there - it's like Jergens) streaks like crazy on me. My Mam can use the 'dark' one no problems. Me? I use the pale one and I look like I was dipped in tea and left outside to dry!

The only thing that works for me is the spray-on tan you get done in the beauty salons. I know oobiecoo said it doesn't show up on her, but for me, someone who physically cannot tan, it comes up super dark. It's an interesting experience for sure (that stuff is cold!) and you'll look like an oompa loompa the first night but the next two or three days you'll have a beautiful tan. I don't notice the smell being too bad after the first night. I just accept that all these products smell. As Blair said, exfoliate beforehand. It will stain your clothes that first night (and your sheets - I wear long pants and sleeves to avoid that) but once you shower the next morning you are safe. It's not very pretty as it wears off so I only use it for special occasions. The rest of the time the world can just deal with my blue legs, like it or not!

Last thing, and then I'll desist. Please wear sunscreen all of the time. People do not realise that sunscreen is necessary even when it's not hot, and even when it's not particualrly sunny. The sun is there all of the time. The rays that burn you (UVB rays) are strongest when the sun is strong, but the ones that cause wrinkles, brown spots, and cancer (UVA rays) are always there. And they come in through windows. Most skin ageing is down to UVA rays. Protect yourself!!!

PS - not all sunscreens block UVA rays. You need one with 'broad spectrum' on the label or else it's only protecting you against UVB rays. Look for zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, or Mexoryl SX (or their chemical names) in the ingredients. More info here if you're interested.

 

[katebar]

Here in Australia they are about to introduce federal legislation that it is illegal to go a solarium if you are under 16 and have fair skin. I''m not sure at all how the criteria for fair skin will be defined but anyway it just goes to show how seriously the risk of damage done by solariums is being considered.

 

[Pandora II]

Please don''t tan. It is DANGEROUS

My FSIL was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma at the age of 29.

She had surgery, a year of chemo and is now at the one year post chemo stage. She has a 50% chance of surviving the next 5 years - up from 30% at the time of her surgery.

She and my FBIL wanted to start a family but have to wait another year. She told me yesterday that it worries her having kids at all because she doesn''t want to leave him a widower with children and make his life more difficult.

IS TANNING WORTH THAT KIND OF WORRY?


I do not tan at all - they used to call me Mozzarella on beaches in Italy (where I was firmly under an umbrella with factor 30 on)!

I wear factor 15 every day all year round, and at 36 don''t have a single wrinkle and most people think I''m 27/28.

 

[Dreamgirl]

Thanks ladies! You are helping me remember why it is I stopped tanning LAST spring. So, I think I will try and avoid that still. I know how bad it is for the skin...rats. It is so much easier too because you don't have to worry about streaks and getting it all to cover your back. Last year when I said "No more tanning!" I made one exception which was when I get married, I would go tanning lol. (Unless I change my mind about that by that time.)

Im not sure about the spray on tan. Sounds kind of messy. I might consider it but for now I think I should try and find a different sunless tanner. I really like the Clarins, it gives great color and lasts for a week! I just wished I didn't get a little itchy from it. I know that Clarins makes a couple other sunless tanners, not sure if I would get the same reaction from them. If anyone else has other suggestions on sunless tanning products (for sensitive skin) please feel free to make suggestions! I have tried Jergens and it doesn't give me much color at all. I don't care too much for the gradual tanners as I have to apply them nearly everyday to see any color. I might try the Aveeno, but my guess is that it is a gradual tanner and Im not sure how many applications that takes and how long it lasts.

 

[violet02]

Date: 4/10/2008 7:39:36 AM
Author: Delster

The only thing that works for me is the spray-on tan you get done in the beauty salons. I know oobiecoo said it doesn't show up on her, but for me, someone who physically cannot tan, it comes up super dark. It's an interesting experience for sure (that stuff is cold!) and you'll look like an oompa loompa the first night but the next two or three days you'll have a beautiful tan. I don't notice the smell being too bad after the first night. I just accept that all these products smell. As Blair said, exfoliate beforehand. It will stain your clothes that first night (and your sheets - I wear long pants and sleeves to avoid that) but once you shower the next morning you are safe. It's not very pretty as it wears off so I only use it for special occasions. The rest of the time the world can just deal with my blue legs, like it or not!

So I had this same dilemma last year then I went back to the tanning salon, where I was paying $35 a shot to get the fancy high pressured 'blocks all the bad rays' sun tan super booths. I always look GREAT with a tan. Anyways this year with the wedding coming up and the fact that I'm getting older I notice more than ever the wrinkles I'm getting from my skin drying out because of the tanning. Particulary on my chest and neck areas. I totally see the freckles and sun damage now in my mid-30s. I vowed this year to not go back to tanning and I won't. I don't want to be pruney when I'm 45.

Anyways, I hate using those sunless tanner lotions. I used to use clarins all the time but gah... applying that stuff is such a time suck.

I AM somewhat interested in Mystic tanning though, so Delster it sounds like you know what you're talking about there. Does it really look natural at all after a couple of days or do you wind up overly tanned looking like those dancing with the stars folks? A friend of mine did one shot in the mystic tanner last year before a trip and she looked barely any darker. I'm wondering if she just got a light spray or what. How much does that stuff rub off as well? Just after one day? What's the cost as well?

I really don't want to go back to 'real' tanning ever again.

 

[icekid]

Errrrrr... sorry ladies, but skin cancer is a very very real concern here. You don''t like how you look when your skin is pale? Well, how would you like it if you had a chunk of your nose removed? And that''s what may happen when you have a LESS serious cancer. Forget melanoma, which is quick-spreading and very often fatal. Go hang out in your dermatologist''s office for a day. Not a good idea. Ever. No base tan either!

Dreamgirl- if you routinely have reactions to all of the sunless tanners, it''s probably an ingredient that is common to them all. Keep looking, but you might react to all of them.

Not to mention... have you seen the skin of people who tanned frequently when young and/ or continue to do so? Ewwwwwwww dark brown damaged wrinkley nasty. I surely don''t want to look like that.

SPF everyday, AND stay out of the sun!

 

[sunnyd]

I''ve used the Jergens stuff. It stinks.

Neutrogena spray? Stinks. And I was bright orange. But it didn''t stain anything.

Basically, if it makes you tan, it will stink because the ingredient that tans you STINKS!! BTW, tanning only clears the complexion for a little while, because it dries up your face. Eventually your face will start to overproduce oil to make up for the dryness caused by the tan. Sooo...not really worth it in any aspect if you ask me! I am pale now and will be pale on my wedding because that''s who I am! Dammit!!

 

[Fly Girl]

I''m over 50, and have always used sun screen and tried to avoid tanning. I tint my hair these days to cover the grey. I tell people I need to keep out of the sun or else my hair turns white and my skin turns brown, and I prefer the reverse.

I''m getting the big payoff now from staying out of the sun. My father has skin cancer, but I have very little skin damage, and very few wrinkles. I use sunscreen daily and wear a hat in the summer. Between the brown hair and the wrinkle-free skin, I look much younger than my peers.

Fine with me!!

 

[HollyS]

Date: 4/9/2008 7:25:22 PM
Author: Dreamgirl
Holly- You know whats funny about that too is people tell me I have such beautiful skin, complexion etc and I think REALLY? Because of the tanning I did. Maybe because I was seasonal and not serious about it there isn''t as much dammage as those who tan all the time. So you suggest buying a spray on tan from a store. Where do you apply it because doesn''t it get all over the room you are spraying it? I would think that would be hard to do yourself.

Stand in your shower or tub, spray evenly on one body part at a time and use your hands to smooth it out and evenly distribute the product. Be sure and wash your hands. I was spraying only body parts that would show in normal clothing like arms, legs, shoulders, neck and chest; I wasn''t after the whole ''lookin'' good naked'' effect.

 

[Skippy123]

Well, I am a cr junkie and they say the best sunless tanner is L'Oreal Sublime 1st and 2nd is Jergen's Natural Glow; hope that helps. I hate to repeat what the others say but stay out of the sun; it is bad for you; even if it is for vanity reasons. Those tanning places cause UVA rays and those are the ones that cause wrinkles.

 

[sunnyd]

Maybe it was the L''oreal that I used for spray...apparently my nose is as sensitive as my skin?

I always thought they made me stinky!

 

[Elmorton]

My first job in grad school was for our university health service - I wrote pamphlets and posters, etc. My boss assigned me to write about tanning (knowing that I tanned - I soon quit doing it on a regular basis, mostly because I was completely freaked out by the horrible propaganda that my tanning salon distributed as reading material). First of all, putting on sunscreen won''t help you when you''re in those beds. The lotions that they sell (with tingle, bronzers) often cause you to burn (which is why you get the tan faster). The beds with the "concentrated" bulbs are even worse. There is absolutely no such thing as a "safe" tan.

Well, except for Mystic Tan (which I did before my wedding, had pretty much no results, so I did a FEW sessions in the tanning bed). BUT, with Mystic Tan, the FDA doesn''t regulate it and they don''t know what can happen if you ingest or breathe the chemicals (which it''s pretty much impossible not to if you''ve been in one - it''s like a cloud of stuff). Still, it''s better than nothing.

If you do Mystic Tan, first, don''t pay $30 for it - many salons will have one day a week or a time period where it''s cheaper (where I used to live, it was Tuesdays before noon half price). Second, make sure you use that barrier cream on your hands and wipe off the stuff WELL before you go home. Wash your hands before leaving the salon. Also, on your first time, choose the lighter shade than what you think you are. My mom messed up on all three of these things and looked a little bit like an Oompa Loompa at my wedding (but even though she had bright orange hands, I still think it was the prettiest I''ve ever seen her!).

If you''re over age 35, your risk of developing skin cancer from a tanning bed is significantly less but your skin will likely look more damaged as a result of the beds. Those taking the biggest risks by tanning are ages 15-25.

Even knowing all this, I gotta be honest, I''ve been really thinking about going back and doing a couple of sessions before summer. The light and heat does have some therapeutic properties - my uncle has severe arthritis and tans regularly to relieve pain. I''ve also heard that the light from tanning beds can help people with SAD.

 

[beau13]

Date: 4/10/2008 9:07:53 AM
Author: Pandora II
Please don''t tan. It is DANGEROUS

My FSIL was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma at the age of 29.

She had surgery, a year of chemo and is now at the one year post chemo stage. She has a 50% chance of surviving the next 5 years - up from 30% at the time of her surgery.

She and my FBIL wanted to start a family but have to wait another year. She told me yesterday that it worries her having kids at all because she doesn''t want to leave him a widower with children and make his life more difficult.

IS TANNING WORTH THAT KIND OF WORRY?


I do not tan at all - they used to call me Mozzarella on beaches in Italy (where I was firmly under an umbrella with factor 30 on)!

I wear factor 15 every day all year round, and at 36 don''t have a single wrinkle and most people think I''m 27/28.

I will second that! I too, had malignant melanoma (deadliest form of skin cancer), at the age of 21, and I didn''t tan!! The tanning beds are just as dangerous (if not more so, according to my cancer specialist!). I am now 38, and people tell me all the time I look much younger! (of course I do, since I don''t have that leathery, sagging, wrinkled "grandma skin" look! Sunless tanners have not been proven to be safe either (not enough research), but they are safer than the harmful UVA/UVB rays that the natural sun, and artificial sun (tanning beds) give off! I sell a professional line of skincare..and I show my clients what their skin looks like under a UV light (the skin you don''t see, but WILL in 8-10 years)! They are shocked to see the damage already done to their skin..which like I said, will show on the epidermis later in life, unless they repair the damage, and protect the new cell growth! (Also, a SPF of at LEAST 20 should be worn daily, for those who want to protect their skin, and keep it more youthful looking).

 

[violet02]

Date: 4/10/2008 6:11:06 PM
Author: Elmorton
My first job in grad school was for our university health service - I wrote pamphlets and posters, etc. My boss assigned me to write about tanning (knowing that I tanned - I soon quit doing it on a regular basis, mostly because I was completely freaked out by the horrible propaganda that my tanning salon distributed as reading material). First of all, putting on sunscreen won''t help you when you''re in those beds. The lotions that they sell (with tingle, bronzers) often cause you to burn (which is why you get the tan faster). The beds with the ''concentrated'' bulbs are even worse. There is absolutely no such thing as a ''safe'' tan.

Well, except for Mystic Tan (which I did before my wedding, had pretty much no results, so I did a FEW sessions in the tanning bed). BUT, with Mystic Tan, the FDA doesn''t regulate it and they don''t know what can happen if you ingest or breathe the chemicals (which it''s pretty much impossible not to if you''ve been in one - it''s like a cloud of stuff). Still, it''s better than nothing.

If you do Mystic Tan, first, don''t pay $30 for it - many salons will have one day a week or a time period where it''s cheaper (where I used to live, it was Tuesdays before noon half price). Second, make sure you use that barrier cream on your hands and wipe off the stuff WELL before you go home. Wash your hands before leaving the salon. Also, on your first time, choose the lighter shade than what you think you are. My mom messed up on all three of these things and looked a little bit like an Oompa Loompa at my wedding (but even though she had bright orange hands, I still think it was the prettiest I''ve ever seen her!).

If you''re over age 35, your risk of developing skin cancer from a tanning bed is significantly less but your skin will likely look more damaged as a result of the beds. Those taking the biggest risks by tanning are ages 15-25.

Even knowing all this, I gotta be honest, I''ve been really thinking about going back and doing a couple of sessions before summer. The light and heat does have some therapeutic properties - my uncle has severe arthritis and tans regularly to relieve pain. I''ve also heard that the light from tanning beds can help people with SAD.

I may try the mystic tan just to see how it looks... I"m thinking I''d like to remain pale for my wedding... I do look good tan but my FI is pale and I don''t want to be uber tan while he''s pale. A little color does look good though... eh, anyways I''ll try a mystic for fun WELL before my wedding.

Thanks El, great tips on price and what to expect!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

The acne clearing up is largely because the UV rays contain radiation that damage oil producing cells. They actually used to use x-rays to cure acne in the 20''s on the same principal. Of course, it gave them cancer later.

As for SAD, they are only exposed to the light very briefly, usually about 7 minutes to reset their system. In combination with vitamin D this treats most cases with minimal UV exposure.

Anyway, the active ingredient in almost all sunless tanners is dihydroxyacetone or DHA. Unfortunately, this is also what causes the skin irritation. There is atleast one tanner that does not contain it, Decleor Auto-Bronzant SPF 6 Self-Tanning Age Prevention Cream. Their Autobronzant Lumiere does have some DHA, but it has less since some of the coloring comes from henna. Either or both might be worth a try. They are also perfumed so they don''t smell like tanners.