If you’re into tanning, you know that it takes a lot of work to get it done right. There are reasons why we see advertisements featuring tanned models every day. Someone with a great tan gives off the impression of success. They’re the kind of people who have time to relax on the beach for hours. They dine in outdoor cafes and go on boating trips.
Getting a good even tan takes work whether you’re outside under the sun or visiting a tanning salon. There are also some health concerns everyone tanning should be aware of, and people should take steps to avoid compromising their long-term health.
Let’s explore some of the basics of skin tanning and what you should know to make your tanning efforts the most effective.
Getting a Tan by Laying Outside
Laying outside on a tower, whether you’re in a park in New York City or the beach in Hawaii, is by far the most popular tanning method. The sun is free, and there’s plenty of it.
The main issues with tanning outdoors are how much time it takes and the long-term effects of too much sun exposure. If you spend, over years, thousands of hours under the sun, the is a high chance you’ll develop sun spots, wrinkles, and even serious adverse health conditions.
To get a good tan outside, you have to put in the hours. It’s not something you can do by spending a couple of hours laying out every month. That’s not going to do much for you. It’s got to be a regular habit and something you do every week.
If you’ve got access to a pool or go on vacation, tanning outside can be very relaxing, but you have to make time for it.
Tanning at Your Local Salon
Most towns have several tanning salons where customers can pop in for a tan. Clients can choose to either tan in a tanning bed or get a spray tan.
With a tanning bed, you’re laying down in a high-powered bed with UV lights all around you. It’s a powerful device that simulates being in the sun for hours. The powerful bulbs shine UV rays into your skin to get darker faster.
Spray tans, on the other hand, are applied and make your skin darker immediately. Salons either have spray tan booths or a tanning technician who will spray the tan on for you. Spray tans look great, and you can choose how dark you want to be. However, they don’t last a long time, mostly a couple of weeks.
One thing to know about tanning at a salon is that it often involves membership fees. Costs can get high if you’re not using it all the time.
Research Peptides and Skin Tone
Melanotan 2, also called MT-2, is a well-known peptide that was developed at the University of Arizona in the 1980s. In research done on rodents, MT-2 melanotan-2-10mg was found to darken the skin of test subjects, which led to efforts developing it as a sunless tanning option. In the tests, the administration of MT-2 promoted the tanning of skin without sun exposure. MT2 is not yet FDA approved for human use. Further research is needed to determine future medical possibilities.
Tanning at Home with Product
There are a lot of other products people can use to tan at home and skip the expensive tanning salons. At most big box or skin product stores, you can find several home tanning options available.
As you might expect, different products come in a range of prices and quality. If you want the best results for home tanning, you should read online reviews and try a few to see which one delivers the best results and the tan you want.
Just like spray tanning, tanning lotions don’t last a long time, so you’ll need to apply them regularly if you want to maintain an even tan. You may also need help from a friend or family member to reach those hard to get to spots like the middle of your back.
Putting tanning lotion on smoothly is important. If it’s not done correctly, tanning lotion can leave streak marks on your skin for weeks. Just make sure you rub all of the lotions evenly on your skin and spend some time rubbing it into your skin well.
