Never, ever burn--ever.
If you burn, your skin will dry out, and flake away, taking away some
of your tan with each flake. Even if you don't go into a full blown
peel, the flaking will still continue. You can NOT avoid this process,
but you can minimize the appearance of it. If you haven't severely
burned, or you just got too much, then you must keep your skin moist
with a good moisturizer, or "after-tan" lotion like one of the ones
available at our salons. This keeps the skin patches from peeling off
in big strips, and slows down the peeling process, giving you time to
get more sun while this "peeling" process is completing it's course.
The peeling phase may last as long as two weeks or more.Let's say
you're pretty dark, and can't seem to get any darker. Or, let's say
your face doesn't seem to be getting any darker, or your knees or legs
aren't getting any darker, but your tummy is really dark. Here's why:
Parts of the body that are exposed to sun often (your face and legs)
have built up a natural barrier to protect it from getting more
damage. Remember, a tan is the body's way of protecting itself from UV
exposure. The skin "thickens" and makes it more difficult for the UV
rays to get to the underlying "melanocytes". If you want to get
darker, you need to get UV light to these melanocytes to stimulate the
production of melanin. This is why you need more and more exposure
to get just a little bit darker.
So, how do you get darker without spending 4 hrs a day in the sun,
or going to a tanning salon in the evening after you've laid by the
pool all day? Here's how, but first I should restate our position on
UV exposure: Never overexpose. You should not lay by the pool in the
day, and then tan in a salon the same day. At Fastan Tanning
Centers, all of our salons have the highest quality equipment, with
fresh tanning lamps, and we will gladly provide you with the daily
recommended "dosage" of UV exposure that is recommended by the FDA for
each piece of equipment.
Here are few things you can do to get the most of
your tanning session.
Shower and wash your face before you come tanning. This
exfoliates dead skin cells that will act as "shade", preventing you
from getting full exposure. This removes your makeup, too. Many people
wonder why their face doesn't tan, and are surprised to find out that
nearly all makeup has sunscreen in it
Use a quality lotion. It's not a scam, and it helps break down
the tough, thick skin barrier and lets the UV rays get deeper, getting
you through your tanning "plateau".
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Put on a quality
moisturizer--or after tan lotion-- whether you buy it at a salon, or
in a drug store. Apply this moisturizer after your tanning session,
and after showering. Okay, you want to shower before your session, and
maybe a quick rinse after your session, to remove your tanning
accelerating lotion. That's fine, just put on a moisturizer after the
shower. Soap dries the skin, we all know that.
Moisturize your skin from the inside, too. Drink plenty of
water, especially in the summer.
Choose a reputable tanning salon. If the salon cannot tell you when
the lamps were last changed, go somewhere else. Tanning salons with
computerized controls can tell you how many hours the tanning lamps
have been used, accurate to 6 minutes. Don't let them fool you. Ask
about their bulb change schedule. Most salons will tell you that lamps
are good for 800 to 1000 hours of use. Fastan will change
bulbs at 400 hours, guaranteed. Our computer will shut down that bed
at 400 hours, and keep it down until the lamps are changed and the bed
counter is reset.
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