Safe and Sunless Tanning

Although many find that being tanned is attractive, it is also very damaging to the skin.

Research shows that if you are out in the sun for 15 minutes or longer, you are at risk of getting skin cancer, malignant melanoma and photoaging.

Photoaging happens when the sun effects cause the skin collagen to break down, which then results in premature aging—in other words, you’re going to look older than you really are.

Photoaging is quite apparent in many women from the 1950s because tanning salons weren’t as available as they are now.

Women used to lie out in the sun for hours to achieve that “bronzed look” because it was popular and attractive.

“It was very becoming. It made my eyes look bluer,” a woman on The Learning Channel said.

She is now suffering from a sever case of skin cancer. She is also in her mid-fifties but appears to look ten years older.

People think that tanning booths and beds are a safer alternative to the sun, but unfortunately tanning beds are worse.

What most people don’t know is that tanning beds use ultraviolet bulbs which give out predominantly UV-A rays.

According to MedicineNet.com, the sun emits a mixture of UV-B and UV-A rays. The difference is that UV-B rays causes the skin to tan quickly while UV-A rays “do not cause burning until exposure levels are very high.”

UV-A rays go deeper into the skin and increases the chance of getting skin cancer and malignant melanoma.

Tanning beds also require a few sessions for a nice tan to build.

However, there is good news for those who enjoy being bronze.

The safest and easiest way to tan is called mystic tanning or also known as airbrush tanning because it is 100% UV free.

Mystic tanning consists of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which is FDA approved.

The DHA is a clear solution that is sprayed onto the body by either a professional using an airbrush gun or you can stand in a stall and an automated machine will gently spray the tanning solution. (It feels misty, therefore acquiring the name “mystic tanning.”)

In about 30 minutes, the tan will start to show and usually lasts 5 to 7 days. There is also tan extending lotion available to help you keep your tan longer.

You come out of the first session of mystic tanning with a near perfect tan, depending on how picky you are.

If you’d like to be darker, another layer can be applied. Most people wait a couple of days before deciding whether to go darker.

Mystic tanning is also great because whereas many do-it-yourself tanning solutions can cause streaks, mystic tanning is streak free. Also, if you have any tanning lines, a professional can airbrush the lines away within a matter of minutes.
Mystic tanning is also known to be cheaper than tanning beds.

The average cost for a mystic tanning package deal is about $130 while tanning beds cost about $200. Of course, the sun is free but living without skin cancer is priceless.

Most importantly, mystic tanning is not damaging to the skin and you can maintain your youth for as long as possible.

Mystic tanning has become quite popular in the last few years. Many celebrities often use airbrush tanning. Now, we common folk can afford to be airbrushed too.

Hopefully, tanning beds will fade out and those devoted to them will realize how old they’re going to look ten years from now.

If you choose to be out in the sun for any reason, it is strongly recommended by dermatologists to use a sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher.

If you’re out in the sun to tan, think twice about how much damage you’re causing to your skin—and with our ozone layer depleting, it won’t be such a good idea.