Tanning

[sapien]

So I'm going on holiday to NYC MLK weekend (I'm in MA) to visit with a few friends and I'd love to acquired a healthy tan. I normally have an olive complexion which gets darker in the summertime. However, in the winter my skin gets sort of "chalky," from being indoors a lot of the time.

Anyway, I'm not one to sunbathe (even in the summer) and I wear sunblock everyday, so I don't wanna go the tanning bed route. However, I've tried professional spray-on tan in the past and it just stains my undershirts and slowly comes off when I wash my face in the morning and at night, anyway.

So....

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there a spray-on tan that would remain for a couple days without staining?

Or, if I decide to do a tanning bed, will it cause any serious damage in the long run this one time?

I should also add that I'm currently on an antibiotic for breakouts.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Corny]

Tanning ages your skin faster, and too much tanning advocates the development of skin cancer.
sporadic and proper use of a tanning bed is not much of a problem though. use it according to your skin tone, they should be able to tell you what times/settings are good for you. however, if your holiday is shortly this most likely will not help to get your tan.
i don't know anything about the spray on tan and self-tanners, but i doubt that they are good for the skin. plus they really look fake orange-ish and you usually end up more speckled than consistently [strike]colored[/strike] tanned

where is the problem in just going like you are?

 

[KaraBulut]

If you have normally olive skin, a few sessions in a tanning bed to trigger melanin production aren't going to kill you. And in some ways, it's a good idea to build up a little base tan if you're going to be going on a beach or resort type holiday. Sunburns do more damage to the colllagen in your skin that limited time in a tanning booth.

Just use a sunblock and/or cover your face during the tanning sessions. And don't sign up for a membership- just get the sessions that you need and then stop.

There are two types of "spray on" tan.

The cheapest variety uses a chemical called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that is derived from beets. It oxidizes the top layers of the skin and causes a weird brown-orange color. The advantages are that it doesn't stain your clothes and it works quickly. It also makes brown skin look browner but doesn't work well on pale white skin. The disadvantages are that it will wear off as the dead cells in the top layers of your skin flake away. It also has a tendency to build up dark uneven color on moles, calluses and cuticles. In the US, there's a spray version of this called "Mystic Tan" and I often wonder what it does to the lungs since it is sprayed 360 degrees from head to toe while you stand in a booth.

The more expensive variety uses stains of various hues. This is delivered by a technician who "spray paints" your body. The advantage is that it comes in a variety of shades and colors and can look more natural (although it can be a bit orange). A good technician can also spray areas in a darker shade to give you abs and definition in areas where there are muscles. The disadvantage is that the stain will stain everything including your clothes and it doesn't come cheap.

 

[UnderBiCover]

my experience only so take it fwiw

I used to tan periodically in tanning beds

then I developed 2 basal cell carcinomas, a form of skin cancer

I no longer tan in tanning beds

ymmv

 

[LotusOnBuddha]

If you have normally olive skin, a few sessions in a tanning bed to trigger melanin production aren't going to kill you. And in some ways, it's a good idea to build up a little base tan if you're going to be going on a beach or resort type holiday. Sunburns do more damage to the colllagen in your skin that limited time in a tanning booth.

Just use a sunblock and/or cover your face during the tanning sessions. And don't sign up for a membership- just get the sessions that you need and then stop.

There are two types of "spray on" tan.

The cheapest variety uses a chemical called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that is derived from beets. It oxidizes the top layers of the skin and causes a weird brown-orange color. The advantages are that it doesn't stain your clothes and it works quickly. It also makes brown skin look browner but doesn't work well on pale white skin. The disadvantages are that it will wear off as the dead cells in the top layers of your skin flake away. It also has a tendency to build up dark uneven color on moles, calluses and cuticles. In the US, there's a spray version of this called "Mystic Tan" and I often wonder what it does to the lungs since it is sprayed 360 degrees from head to toe while you stand in a booth.

The more expensive variety uses stains of various hues. This is delivered by a technician who "spray paints" your body. The advantage is that it comes in a variety of shades and colors and can look more natural (although it can be a bit orange). A good technician can also spray areas in a darker shade to give you abs and definition in areas where there are muscles. The disadvantage is that the stain will stain everything including your clothes and it doesn't come cheap.

I do the later, to the tune of 195 bucks every 3 weeks. I'm stimulating the economy. For me it only lasts about 3 weeks. The night before I get it done i coat myself in 50% latic acid to remove any dead or...slightly dead...skin. Unless you're insane like me, and love AHAs, a sugar scrub should do....But i love acid...and im hardcore. SO after i've exfoliated to the basement membrane, i coat myself in cerave cream and go to bed. Then at the crack of dawn I sprayed! Its glorious. A perfect island glow. I had to vist a few salons to find one whose product didnt make me look like a hand bag. In my search i found out that there are different "base colors" some bases are brown, some blue, some red, and some orange. My skin tone seems to like the blue base.

I usually ask the chick that sprays me down ( they make me get nakid...so the bashfull need not apply) to make my tan lighter in late fall, winter and early spring and a little darker in summer. I do love to be outside tho, so in the summer i can stretch my tanning sessions to 4 or 5 weeks apart. My skin tans pretty quickly...and im one of those freaks who has never had a sunburn.

Mystic Tan and I did not work out. I looked like a cheetah and hacked up lovely brown mucus for 2 or 3 days. It seems my lungs did not want to be tan...

 

[vamp]

I know you expressed a disinterest in tanning bed, but I would think this is your best option. It's safe as long as you use it in moderation and use plenty of protection.

 

[NineOfClubs]

I used to tan to excess.

Now I would recommend a good "tan in a bottle" for several applications, maybe followed by a few visits to a tanning salon. This is just for pre-vacation prep. Not as an everyday thing....

 

[Nephelauxetic]

Every tan increases the chances for skin cancer. That's statistics: you can also get the cancer after only one tan. I'd stay away from it. It's not only unhealthy but also doesn't look natural. It's normal to be pale in winter.

 

[lyconthrope]

my doctor actually advised me to use a sunbed to help clear my skin.

they advise no more than 2 sunbeds every 4 weeks and for no longer than 7 minutes at a time (4 minutes for stronger sunbeds)

the stand-up tanning booths are better for you than the lay down ones as you are not in contact with the unit.

 

[tommyj]

At Hollywood Tans?

 

[lyconthrope]

possibly, I live in the UK hehe my stand up tanning booths are at the gym

 

[UnderBiCover]

you can also get the cancer after only one tan.

what my dermatologist told me after I asked how I got a carcinoma on my ass

 

[danniflava]

my doctor actually advised me to use a sunbed to help clear my skin.

they advise no more than 2 sunbeds every 4 weeks and for no longer than 7 minutes at a time (4 minutes for stronger sunbeds)

the stand-up tanning booths are better for you than the lay down ones as you are not in contact with the unit.

Huh? Moderate sun exposure gives you good vitamin, but indoor tanning use does not help clear skin. If anything, it clogs your pores even more.

I tan religiously! Actually, I haven't been in a really long time [4 weeks]. Although it's obviously less healthy than no exposure, if you want a tan, it's a good idea in moderation.

But start well in advance of your vacation.

 

[inlovewithblair]

Tanning indoors is obviously more dangerous than tanning outdoors, but they both do the trick. You must make sure you don't burn, as that is what causes skin cancer. And, to prevent burning or the tendency to tan for too long in one session, you should start your trips to the tanning bed weeks in advance and slowly build up colour.