Tanning

[Blair138]

I used to be a tanner and will probably tan a little for my wedding, but probably out in the natural sun with sunscreen, BUT I REALLY WANT TO STRESS that there is NO SUCH THING as a base tan. My sister is an esthetician (works in skincare) and she learned and has told me that ANY TAN is damaging to your skin. Yes it''s true that once you are tan, it''s less likely you will burn, but I get red when out in the sun no matter what color my skin is beforehand.

If my sister, who was once the queen of tan, worked at a tanning salon and was SO DARK she was unrecognizable, will stop tanning because of what she learned, that is enough to scare me. I do agree that the whole ''tanorexic'' look is outdated...

My sis also got a nasty skin fungus from so much tanning that has scarred her back in some areas because of how bad it was.

I will step off my soapbox now

 

[kittybean]

Date: 2/23/2009 9:21:20 PM
Author: shimmer
Thanks musey, we don''t have a great selection of sunscreen here so that''s probably the problem. I have never seen anything higher than SPF30 or heard of helioplex!

I will try to find some online that will ship to here, or just pick it up once I get there (i''ll prob get burned on the way to get it though, scratch that idea!)

Try the Lizard sunscreen--I use Baby Lizard, and it has zinc oxide that blends in completely. I''m olive-skinned, but my skin discolors easily, so I use it to prevent that. My FI is very, very fair-skinned, and the Baby Lizard prevented him from burning this past summer when we spent hours in the sun in the Bahamas. He was very pleased with it, and I was happy he wasn''t complaining about his sunburned shoulders!

 

[Pandora II]

Go for the fake spray on tans - don''t use sunbeds or go in the sun too much.

My SIL was diagnosed in her 20''s with stage 4 malignant melanoma 3 years ago. She had to postpone her wedding while she had chemo, has a huge scar down her back, a 50% chance of surviving the next 5 years and isn''t allowed to try starting a family for another year as it could spark the melanoma off again if she gets pg within 3 years of the chemo.

Once you have seen someone go through that, you think twice about whether it''s really worth it.

 

[redfaerythinker]

Pandora is right... skin cancer is nothing to mess around with. My dad had a malignant melanoma removed. The mole was a centimeter across... but the scar that was left behind was over four inches across! I will be rocking my super pale bod on my wedding day, cause i''m not wearing a white dress, it''s champagne!

 

[noelwr]

Hi, I''m not here to say if it''s right or wrong, that''s everyone''s personal decision. I am aware of the possible consequences of tanning, and I take the chance anyway.

I have a tanning bed at home which I use once a week for 20 minutes. I love it - especially in the winter because it can make you feel so nice and warm when it''s freezing outside. I''ve also tried beds in salons and those can make you really dark, even unnaturally so. mine only has one setting, but it never burns me and just gives me a healthy color. I''m not going to say you shouldn''t wear skin protection when tanning, but you really shouldn''t have it at such a high setting that you would need it.

I''m tanning for my wedding day to make sure I don''t have any more tan lines which I find really unattractive. but once we go on honeymoon, I''m sure I''ll get those tan lines right back.

 

[Cleopatra]

For an everyday sunscreen for your face, I recommend Lancome''s SPF30 Bienfait Multi-Vital moisturizer - it''s available through Sephora. It gives high enough SPF protection and it''s a fantastic, non-geasy moisturizer. I use it every single day.

I''m pretty anal about sunscreen and staying out of the sun. My grandmother is turning 80 years old this December and she ALWAYS preached to me the importance of skin protection - wearing sunscreen or a hat when outdoors - I swear this up and down, but the woman has ZERO wrinkles on her entire face - not a single line around her eyes or anywhere on her face - she has porcelain skin and her skin is absolutely beautiful for ANY age - it''s unbelievable - therefore, my grandmother is my prime reason for being anal about skin protection. I hope to look like her in 50 years

 

[PearlDahhhling]

Date: 2/23/2009 4:51:19 PM
Author: shimmer

Peardahling, now I think I should go a few weeks! I just don''t want to get too dark, but I guess I can always ''maintain'', how do you keep it at the level you want?

It depends on how often you plan to go tanning. Right now I''m going about 2 times a week and I''m getting color reeeeeally slowly. I''m also using the cheapest beds. The salon I go to has a $20 a month/unlimited tanning and it''s for the cheapest beds which are 20 minute max beds and right now I''m only able to go for about 11 minutes. You can keep close track of your color by monitoring how often you go and how long you''re in the bed. It doesn''t take long for the tan to fade either, just a couple weeks without tanning, so it''s pretty easy to maintain a specific color.

 

[mintve]

I have never laid in a tanning bed before. I''ve done the mystic tan and it looks great...from a distance, but up close its splotchy on me, plus it tends to bleed and I dont wnat my dress to get all icky.

I tried on my gown and stood next to my FG who had lovley tanned skin, natually. I looked like a pale little ghost and I realized, I need some color. Not to mention my fiance had darker skin than I do. So, as not to be a ghost, I am venturing to a tanning bed for the first time in my lfe. I will go for a few short sessions a few weeks before to get a nice glow to my skin. THough, I will probably go a few months before to make sure I dont have some sort of dreadful reaction.

 

[NovemberBride]

Please, please think twice about tanning. I am in my late 20''s, and I already have 3 friends who have had skin cancer. Thankfully, they have all survived, but they do have a chance of recurrence. I am guilty of using tanning salons in the past, but will never go again - it''s just not worth risking cancer for.

If you want the look of being tan without the risk of skin cancer, I suggest getting the airbrush tanning at a salon/spa. I have tried a number of self-tanners as well as Mystic Tan, and they all turned out ok, but a little streaky and I wouldn''t risk it for my wedding day. But I have also gotten the professional airbrush application from a salon and it''s amazing. The best ones do a full body exfoliation first and then airbrush on the tan. I''d suggest trying it at least once before the wedding and then getting it done 2-3 days before. A little pricey, but wirth it for your wedding if you want the tan look IMHO.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 2/23/2009 8:19:33 PM
Author: musey

Same here. I''ve decided that tanning is not ''in'' anymore. It''s just whatever your natural, healthy, undamaged-by-sun skin tone is. Just look at all these porcelain beauties!

Wow musey I think this is starting to convince me to wear a colored wedding dress!!! Those are some gorgeous women. Haha I''m as pale as everyone else on this thread, but white just doesn''t look good on me! Hmmm... ideas!

I used to tan very infrequently in the lay down beds while I was in college. I know now it''s probably not worth it, but I will tell you this... those 5-10 minutes were the most relaxing minutes of my day. SERIOUSLY. I''d lay in there, put my eye thingies on, cover my face with the towel, and start the bed. They had the radio playing softly by your head - and I swear once that bed got heated up (right about the time I had to get out), it was so darn relaxing in there.

 

[alli_esq]

oh, yeah...I''ll be tanning a tiny bit before the wedding...

it''s one thing to have beautiful porcelain skin like musey or all those gorgeous women she posted...but I honestly just look sick most of the time...

I used to tan when I was younger--not much and not for very long--and I do like to get some color these days in the summer...but I do plan on tanning for a short while before the wedding, just to not look so sickly, and to hopefully clear up any "blemishes" that might be forming on my face, chest or back (the spray stuff I am afraid would aggravate my acne even more than usual, and my skin is iffy at best now!)

 

[oobiecoo]

I tanned before my wedding and continue to do so. I do NOT go overboard with the color or do it very often though. I''m extrmely pale but with red cheeks and the tanning helps cover that up and make me look healthier. Its also good for light therapy since I get a little depressed during the winter due to lack of sunlight.

 

[mayachel]

Others have given you some good advice on skin cancer (really, it''s out there, no joke) so I wanted to chime in to say last summer I tried the gradual "tan" moisturizers. For my fair skin (Irish and Danish ancestors) the Nivea light had the most natural looking color. I also tried Jergens and found it to be a little too orange.

Just remember that if you''ll be in the sun, you still need a high SPF. Neither a tan nor a burn "protect" the skin from damage.

 

[musey]

Date: 2/24/2009 7:13:50 PM
Author: mayachel
Just remember that if you''ll be in the sun, you still need a high SPF. Neither a tan nor a burn ''protect'' the skin from damage.

Word. A tan just masks further burning, at best.

 

[violet02]

Date: 2/24/2009 7:24:08 PM
Author: musey

Date: 2/24/2009 7:13:50 PM
Author: mayachel
Just remember that if you''ll be in the sun, you still need a high SPF. Neither a tan nor a burn ''protect'' the skin from damage.

Word. A tan just masks further burning, at best.

Definitely. I used to put on some very low SPF with my uber tanning bed tan when I went out. Not smart.

Seriously I''m still a ''color'' addict. Just one that spray tans or uses lotions which is a pain to maintain but oh well.

I just went up to Tahoe this weekend. I have no idea how people get those ridiculous goggle tans. I never wear anything less than 85 when I snowboard.

 

[tlh]

Be careful tanning. My SIL had periwinkle blue BMs dresses. I DONT LOOK GOOD IN THIS COLOR unless I am tan. So I faked baked. OVER DID IT. At the time I didn''t think I had, but now looking at pictures I was more orange than an oompah loompah.

Just a word of caution.

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 2/24/2009 7:24:08 PM
Author: musey

Date: 2/24/2009 7:13:50 PM
Author: mayachel
Just remember that if you''ll be in the sun, you still need a high SPF. Neither a tan nor a burn ''protect'' the skin from damage.

Word. A tan just masks further burning, at best.

Yep. I learned this one the hard way the few times in my life I have managed some color and then got too relaxed about applying sunblock.