HELP! New at tanning indoors!

[Inque]

okay here are the stats on me:

I am medium to light skin tone (I have Japanese/Irish/German in me. I have tanned 4 times in the past 2 1/2 weeks. I am using Tan America mega bronzer tanning beds. First two times I went for 8 minutes. Third time I went for 10 minutes and the fourth I went for 12.

Problem: I am only tanning on my stomach and some of the top of my arms and a little on my face and my legs are tanning on the front side. My back side is lacking of a tan.

Should I try the stand up beds to get a better all arond tan? Or should I try applying moisturizers? I read that applying certain ones(I here Ambrosia is good?) 4-5 days before tanning speeds up the process but is this good when tanning in the mega bronzer? (I kow the mega bronzer penatrates deeper layers of skin to give you a longer lasting tan and a tan that doesn't burn.) Also should I keep increasing my time until I get to 15 minutes? and if so, when should I start increasing?

thanks so much! All of the different experience and knowledge that you guys have to share is wonderful and greatly appreciated!

-Niki

[MoraBella30]

Buy yourself some lotion...what lotions does your salon offer ??? First off you should moisturize with a Lotion made for tanners, you could try Total Immersion by Cal Tan, Or Angel by designer skin for example, use them after shower/bath I use morning and night... Second, buy yourself a Tanning lotion, a good step 1 brwoning lotion would be your best bet, synergy tan brown evny is great to start out with, ALso ambrosia is nice too... let us know what you have to choose from and we can make suggestions for you....
If your skin is dry you will not see maximun tanning resluts !! You can raise your time as long as you are not getting pink.... do not burn youself !! hope whis helps, keep us posted

[meltdbutta]

You should always tan for the amount of time that your salon tells you to...
And Always use a lotion while tanning...
Moisturized skin tans beautifully, and your skin craves moisture during and after tanning...
Start off with a step one product...
And I suggest a tan-Extender, which is a moisturizer, created specifically to extend the life of the tan...

melty

[Anya1976]

well u might want to tan a little more i know when i was building my base i was tanning every other day or every couple days. u should only be uping your exposure when u are not seeing any new color. i would personaly tan a few times at one exposure time rather than just moving it up. u want to do this gradually without giving yourself the option to burn. make sure u moisturize and always use a salon approved tanning lotion. i've never heard of those stimulating products to work i want to say i tried some years ago b4 a trip to fla it was a hawaiian tropic play catch up in 3 hrs kind of thing and it was just crap. the only way i know of to truely get melanin production started is to expose yourself to the UV.

my stomach always gets dark first my arms take awhile to show some color but sooner or later i even out. once u get a base tan and have your exposure up u might want to try a tingle for your arms to catch up but right now i'd suggest a light bronzer.... maybe try cal tan's hot chocolate it's a step 1 lotion for building a tan and it has a bronzer to make u look darker while u are building your tan

[blackeyed susan]

Preparing your skin is a must. Norvell offers shower gels and exfoliants. Try a product called Melaplus from John Abate. This an extremely moisturing and melanin boosting product. Try that for a few sessions. Then add a product with a bronzer. Then a tingle, then tingle wth bronzer. You can get a healthy tan by slowly taking care of your skin and not rushing the results.

[LavenderFleur]

You definitely need to use a lotion. Trying to tan dry skin is pointless and a waste of your time and money, not to mention not good for your skin at all. Look for a step one lotion made for beginner tanners. You need to apply it right before you get in the tanning bed. Then, after you tan, you need an after tan moisturizer to keep your skin moisturized and to maintain your tan. When I was building my base tan I tried to go about 4 times a week. Don't move up in time too quickly or you are likely to burn yourself and have to start ALL over. Good luck!!

[jbones]

How do you know when you burn? (People have told me that you know when your butt itches for a few days?!?!?!)

Every time I tan I turn red for about a day, then it turns tan. That is what happens when I've had a lot of sun also. I have a medium skin tone. Is this normal?

[Anya1976]

Quote:
On 2003-05-03 01:13, jbones wrote:
How do you know when you burn? (People have told me that you know when your butt itches for a few days?!?!?!)

Every time I tan I turn red for about a day, then it turns tan. That is what happens when I've had a lot of sun also. I have a medium skin tone. Is this normal?


itches occour when u first start tanning it's from what i have been told is when your skin is starting to produce melanin.
and do u turn red for a whole day? if it only lasts a few hours it could be heat flux. i know sometimes i am red cus i am not aftertanning and in a few hours i am back to normal. does your skin turn a normal shade if u splash some cool water on it?

[Tamar]

Quote:
On 2003-05-03 01:13, jbones wrote:
How do you know when you burn? (People have told me that you know when your butt itches for a few days?!?!?!)

Every time I tan I turn red for about a day, then it turns tan. That is what happens when I've had a lot of sun also. I have a medium skin tone. Is this normal?


If you are turning red, then you are overexposing, avoid that as much as possible. The itching could be from dry skin, common when starting to tan for the season. Stay hydrated by using a good tanning lotion, moisturize damp skin after shower, and drink more water!

Tan in moderation, never burn. More good info on www.tanningtruth.com.

[beefy]

I am pretty new at tanning (4 sessions) and I am using JA Melaplus. Its working well, my stomach is darkest. the only thing I dont like is the scent.

[needatan]

I'm confused by all the steps, too. Hope someone answers that question.

[Anya1976]

Quote:
On 2003-05-04 02:00, SLPNGQT wrote:
what is the ideal process to keep your skin hydrated... are u supposed to use a tanning lotion, an aftertan lotion, and an after shower moisturizer? i'm kinda getting confused by all the steps and no one at my salon really pushes moisturizing


to keep skin hydrated tanning lotion... after tanning use your moisturizer (shower with a shower gel they are less drying than bar soaps) then your moisturizer after your shower... and during the day if u feel dry put more moisturizer on. the best way to keep your skin and yourself hydrated is to drink a lot of water.

[Tamar]

4 Steps to a Great Tan:

1) Exfoliate every 7 - 10 days using a glove and liquid soap. Bar soaps leave a film and strips the skin of its natural oils.
2) Moisturize damp skin after your shower (do not towel dry). No mineral oil, ever!!
3) Use a quality tanning lotion before tanning, and after tan moisturizer.
4) Water, water, water....drink up!

Clean, moist skin tans best (and lasts longer).

[jbones]

Quote:
On 2003-05-03 06:31, Tamar wrote:
Quote:
On 2003-05-03 01:13, jbones wrote:
How do you know when you burn? (People have told me that you know when your butt itches for a few days?!?!?!)

Every time I tan I turn red for about a day, then it turns tan. That is what happens when I've had a lot of sun also. I have a medium skin tone. Is this normal?


If you are turning red, then you are overexposing, avoid that as much as possible. The itching could be from dry skin, common when starting to tan for the season. Stay hydrated by using a good tanning lotion, moisturize damp skin after shower, and drink more water!

Tan in moderation, never burn. More good info on http://www.tanningtruth.com.




One day I tan and turn red. I'm still red the next day. The following day I regain my color.

This happens every time...Even after I have my tan built up.

[Anya1976]

if u are red the next day then maybe u shouldn't be doing the full time in the bed.... but i'd ask the pro's on this one for sure

[colorgod]

Def. don't want to tan too much if you are red. Give that red sometime to fade.