Tanning

[JustAskJulie]

Ok, so we are heading to Orlando in May and as many of you know I'm about as fair skinned as they come. So we are thinking about possibly both of us hitting a tanning bed for a bit or some other option prior to going to FL. I was talking to my hairdresser today and she mentioned Mystic tan (the spray-on tan) and airbrush tanning. Just curious as to what others experiences are with these, and with tanning beds in general (especially from fair-skinned folks).

[rpu3]

I'm heading to Hawaii next week, and am pretty pale, and I looked into both, and chose the tanning bed.

Love Mystic Tan (the real Mystic Tan)... however, if you are going to swim at all, Mystic Tan isn't going to work all that well. Allegedly, it becomes streaky and can fade very quickly in chlorinated water or salt water. If you want to keep it, you'll need to limit exfoliation and try to keep your showers short, but I think it looks nice.

Because Mystic Tan isn't going to do for me given I do plan to go in the water, I'm hitting the tanning bed 5 days a week, for a total of three weeks. This week and next week, I'll be in the bed 15 minutes at a time on the salon's weakest bed (I'm cheap). It's going well enough - it won't be a dark tan, but at least I won't frighten small children.

Given you are going in May, you could probably get a nice color by then, without burns, albeit slowly but safely.

If you aren't going to swim, Mystic Tan might be the better bet. If you are going to swim, or want a tan through the summer, the tanning bed might be better.

[TNT]

Considering that the tanning beds I've looked at have always had a sign on them that said...If you don't tan in the sun, you won't tan in a tanning bed....I've never been in a tanning bed.

Ted however, LOVES them...of course, he tans very easily in the sun. He spent a couple of months in one last year before we went to Hedo and was very dark.

As far as all the spray on, rub on tanners....they turn me orange and I mean ORANGE...of course, knowing your love of that color, you might like it



Teresa

[sbjr3]

Julie,
I am very fair skinned, burn quickly, am prone to sun poisioning, and to make matters worse, I am allergic to all sun blocks and tanning lotions. I go to a tanning salon that has the vertical tanning booths. Using the medium strength booth (they have three levels of tanning intensity), I begin slowly by doing 4 minutes at a time, three days a week, for the first two weeks; then 5 minutes, 3 days a week during weeks three and four, and so on, until I am up to eight minutes, which I do once or twice a week for maintenance. This may sound a bit extreme, but in my case a necessity. The process usually takes about two months, I have a nice tan for the summer and Hedo trips, and I don't burn when out in the sun for long periods of time.

Cheryl

[Swingercast]

Originally Posted by sbjr3

Julie,
I begin slowly by doing 4 minutes at a time, three days a week, for the first two weeks; then 5 minutes, 3 days a week during weeks three and four, and so on, until I am up to eight minutes, which I do once or twice a week for maintenance.
Cheryl

I did the same routine about a month before we went to Desire last August with excellent results.

Make sure if they put new bulbs in the machines that they let you know. (My butt was RED for about a week).

I also found that my skin was well moisturized because I was using body lotion much more frequently.

Looking forward to a Sexy Summer,

John

[nicebeaver]

My wife uses the Mystic Tan, it is true it won't last more than a few days, but it looks great for a evening out or weekend trip. Don't soak in a hot tub too long, or long hot showers. She has tried tanning beds in the past and really make her itch all over a day or two after the tan session. She is fair skinned as well. We both stay out of the sun at this point unless we are wearing atleast 33 SPF.
On the Mystic tan, she did a session on Wed. and a session on Thursday and met me in Vegas that night. She looked awsome... (it develops during several hours like the lotions) I am still trying to get over how well she looked when I first saw her at the airport that night, and how well tanned her backside was later on while getting a quickie in our bathroom at the MGM (that's another thread I think)... very nice images still etched in my brain.
By Sunday, it was about about 20% left, and some streaking.
Many resort areas have Mystic available now, so you could hit it every other day or so to keep it going.

[JustAskJulie]

Thanks for the feedback all. I don't really TAN in the sun, but I do "pink" or change shades or something. I definately have lines usually by the end of the summer, even if it is just a different shade of white.

[celtic239]

Every time the Mrs and I plan a trip to Mexico we always pre-tan using a taning bed. I go about two - three times a week for two months before we go. Since the place that we go to is a clothing optional resort the last thing I want to get is burned.

[des1re06]

I'm not fair skinned, but would like to give advice on the sprays and lotions.

We've tried several brands, and some just change your skin tone to a weird shade, like TNT said. I don't like the smell of some either. My favorite is Revival. I order it on the internet, because the salons charge a fortune for it.

Test one on a small area to see if you like the result.

Have fun! Tanning can be a very sensual experience.

Mrs. D

[mrs good times]

I am fair skinned but I have a little Indian in my blood so I do tan well. I start out slow, 4 minutes three times a week and then work up to 8 minutes. I also use an enhancer lotion. I like the vertical bed best because only your feet are touching where others have been before you. I know they clean them after each use but the horizontal beds gross me out.

As for lotions, I use them on my legs only, so I don't have to wear nylons at work, and my favorite is by Neutrogena.

[good times]

I don't do tanning beds, what would be the point? I go from white to burned just fine by standing outside naked at midnight with a full moon.

[petra6998]

I am one that does not tan in the sun. I have been airbrushed and
mystic tans. They don't last and alot of times there are areas missed. If you are the type of person who gets cold and the hair on your legs instantly start to grow then don't to a spray on type of tan because the minute you shave it's coming off. Which is to be expected because it is really just staining the skin and when you shave or wash you are tacking off the top skin cells which have that stain on it.

I have been to tanning bed in 2 different sessions, the first time I went for 1 month every day before prom and I did not get one ounce of color. I don't know if it was there bulbs or what, but I tried every bed there. The last time was last summer to have it a base of some sort before we went to the races and were in the sun for 3 days straight and I actually got a tan, I think it was the help of the lotion that I was using. Course the skin between my breasts got burnt and very sensetive to the point of where I was putting a towel there. I went 4 weeks 5 days a week for about 7 mins each time. Really thinking about doing it again this year!!

[Chicup]

SPF 30+ at all times.

I may look pale but I also look 10 years younger than most men my age.

Its the curse of the Irish. (the skin not the age thing)

[kittyscave]

One more quick note on the spray or lotion "fake" tan. There is about 2% of the population (myself included, unfortunately) who are terribly allergic to the DHA in all sunless tan solutions. When I got sprayed for my body building show I got an all over horrible rash about 24 hours later and had to be on prednisone for over a week it was so bad. I couldn't sleep for days and spent most of my time in an oatmeal bath.

So, PLEASE test out a small patch and wait 24 hours to be sure you won't have a systemic reaction like I have with it. I'd hate to see someone's vacation ruined by this.

On a related note, I also have had basal cell carcinoma, so I tend to stay out of the sun for the most part. However, the vast majority of research now suggests that sun exposure in and of itsself is not related to skin cancer - nor is exposure in the tanning beds. Rather, for the most part, research indicates that several serious burns result in skin cancer growth. Everyone was pretty shocked when I developed skin cancer due to my dark skin and eyes. But, I fell asleep on a raft in the ocean in the Bahamas when I was 17 and had burn scars from my tan lines for months later. There were several other incidents when I also burned after that. So, skin cancer can happen to anyone, and the best preventative method is not to burn. Sun exposure - good. Sun burn - very bad!!!

[SweetandSalty1]

I love the Mystic tanning. I am fairly fair skinned as well and the mystic tanning gives me a very deep tan and lasts a pretty good amount of time.