Red Tan??

[Bamatan]

I have a question, I tan 3 times a week , use good lotions , but my tan is very red colored . I have never been able to achieve a bronze tan like I want soo bad, but just wondered if anyone had any ideas how I could change to get more of a brown color (instead of the red) to my tan.

Thanks
TGIF,
Shawn

[njchica]

what beds do you use?

do you use bronzers? bronzers are a great way to make your tan look more brown rather than red...

[CarSmithUGA]

Shawn, I get the same problem with my face but not the rest of my body. My body turns bronze but my face gets red. I think mine is caused by some acne medications I am using. However, if I use a bed with good facials I get much better "bronze" results. Are you overall red or just a particular area?

[Bamatan]

I use the regular beds, I have never upgraded , and never used bronzers, I thought they probably streaked and looked fake....

[Bamatan]

my overall color is red-tinted but more so on my face

[lilmountaingrrl]

The salon i go to has lotions specifically marked as "getting the red out of your tan". I know that they arent bronzers, which are kept in a different section of the store. Is this correct? Are there really certain lotions that can help eliminate the red in a tan?

[njchica]

I have heard of no such thing.... but I would like to see their ingredient list. Most bronzers DO NOT stain or streak.... and they should not be kept in a totally different section of the store/salon...... sound sketchy to me.

[lilmountaingrrl]

The salon i go to has been around since 1991 or '92. The owner has all the accelerators in a section, all the bronzers in a section, and all the lotions that are marked 'hot' or 'tingle' in another section. The lotions that are marked 'get the red out of your tan' are in the accelerator section, and the owner made the sign, it was not made by a lotion company. I just didnt see how a certain lotion could alter your color, aside from helping you darken the tan a bit. I will have to take a look tomorrow when im in there, and see which products she is saying 'take the red out'. I never really paid too much attention before since i havent had the redness problem.

[colorgod]

Bama, I have that same problem. I know you may not want to go this route, but what I do is tan my face at the max. 5 min per session. Your face seems to not be able to handle as much exposure as the rest of your body. I also use sunless spray on my face. Right now I"m using Bronze Faces by Swedish Beauty.

You must be very careful to avoid streaking. What I do is spray a little in my hand so I can apply in small circular motions. If you already have some "color", that should make it easier to avoid streaking.

If you don't want to do this, try a light bronzer on your face. Matahari's Lustrous is a very light bronzer that is intended for your face. I think it would be hard to streak with this one.

[njchica]

colorgod has some good advice. a bronzing lotion can be used on your face to help keep it as dark as the rest of you.... Lustrous is a good facial lotion that will not streak...

I know that my salon has upgrade beds that are almost all UVA light (I think) which is the "browning" rays. they call them "browning" beds and they do a great job to darken your tan from reddish to brownish. Try using an upgrade bed for a few sessions and see if that doesn't eliminate the red.

[Anya1976]

yes the HP beds will help brown your tan.

[colorgod]

Yes upgrade to the HP beds like I suggested!

[Summers Tan]

If the lamps are high in UVB,you'll tan more of a reddish cast.They are also much more drying.

[PJ]

Shawn- I would suggest the reason you tan more red and not brown is because your body produces more of the Melanin called Pheomelanin, which is reddish in tint, than Eumelanin, which is dark brown. Although the metabolic pathway is the same for both types (both are synthesized from Tyrosine, by the Melanocyte cells) there is an added step during the formation of pheomelanin: there is an interaction with the red-tinted sulfur in another aminoacid called Cysteine, which in turn "dyes" the melanin reddish. So when you tan (your body produces melanin) it will have this red component. Why do people have different types of Melanin to begin with? Well genetics, evolution, environment, etc. etc etc. (think Ireland vs. Tahiti).

So what can you do? Well not that much. BUT....one way to attempt to disrupt the interaction of the sulfur in Cysteine with Melanin synthesis is to reduce the amount of Cysteine consumed on your diet...you can do a search on the net and find common sources, and either substitute or reduce these foods, at least while you tan. At the same time you might want to take Tyrosine supplements, in order to produce even more Melanin. Between the two (less Cysteine and more Tyrosine) you might be able to "dilute", as it were, the effect of sulfur. Now, if that doesn't work (as it well might not- but it's worth a try), you'd have to go the fake-tan route with DHA or something in order to artificially color your skin.

Wel,l good luck, and keep us posted!

PJ

[colorgod]

What foods contain cysteine. I'd like to reduce this too, but I don't know which foods contain this substance.

[njchica]

CYSTEINE:-

Cysteine can be obtained from dietary and is depleted by cigarette smoking, the depletion of which may be partially related to the faster aging of skin in smokers.

Cysteine is a major component of skin, hair, & fingernails. Studies show that cysteine supplementation can increase hair shaft diameter and hair growth density in some cases of hair loss.

Cysteine functions as an antioxidant and is a powerful aid to the body in protecting against radiation and pollution. It can help slow down the aging process, deactivate free radicals, neutralize toxins; aids in protein synthesis and presents cellular change. It is necessary for the formation of the skin, which aids in the recovery from burns and surgical operations.

The benefits associated with Methionine are commonly stated as:

Help with skin health.

Stop hair loss & aid hair growth.

Aid wound healing from injuries, burns, or surgery.

Help protect us from the adverse effects of alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, & other chemicals.

Support the liver when there are liver disorders.

Enhance absorption of iron.

Ameliorate chemical sensitivity reactions.

Promote the production of red & white blood cells.

Support cartilage (as a precursor to chondroitin sulfate.)

http://thenaturalshopper.com/beeproductinfo/amino-acids.htm

[njchica]

I can't find any info about what foods have a lot of cystiene.

[colorgod]

Thanks for the info chica.

[PJ]

Animal proteins are generally higher in Cysteine content than vegetable proteins. In addition, keep in mind that Cysteine, as an non-essential aminoacid, is also manufactured by the liver from Methionine, an essential aminoacid (by the way the aminoacids' role in the body is complex and absolutely fascinating). Menthionine can be found in meats, fish, dairy. And even though beans have a moderate amount of Cysteine, it would seem that eating vegetarian meals for a day or two before tanning would address this issue. But obviously, be prudent whenever changing diet or eating habits.[ This Message was edited by: PJ on 2003-05-23 23:08 ]