How to tan properly: 4 tips from a dermatologist to avoid harming your skin

The weather brings sunny days, and now it is especially important to talk about tanning. How and how to protect your skin from the sun to get an even and beautiful tan? Before you – instructions for taking sunbaths.

dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist, plastic surgeon.

There are a few rules that will help to achieve the best possible result.

At what time it is better to tan

Sunbathing is best before 12:00 and after 17:00 – this is the most favorable time to get a beautiful even tan without harm to health. In the middle of the day the sun is very active, and ultraviolet rays have a harmful effect on the skin, causing photo-aging, hyperpigmentation and the appearance of vascular stars.

It also increases the risk of melanoma, a dangerous cancer. Therefore, children under three years of age should not be in the sun without protective equipment, as it significantly increases the risk of malignancy.

How long you can be in the sun

Immediately long stay in the sun is not possible – the skin must be prepared for sunbathing. The first time tanning should be no more than 15 minutes, with each day increasing the time spent in the sun. We are talking only about those hours that we indicated earlier – before noon and after five in the evening.

If for some reason you are exposed to the sun during a period of time that is not recommended for sunbathing, it is necessary to use sunscreen with a high SPF factor of 50+. It is important to renew the cream every two hours, because its properties decrease over time and do not provide proper protection, even if you feel it.

How to prepare your skin for sunbathing

Before going out in the sun, it is necessary to prepare the skin for tanning. There are a few rules that will help to achieve the best possible result.

Timely depilation. Not the day before tanning, but at least a few days before. Because any such procedure violates the covering barrier of the skin. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the skin is protected from burn by the production of melanin. This is a pigment that is deposited unevenly and can lead to age spots.

Scrubbing. Make it better a day or two before the proposed tanning. So you clean the skin from keratinized scales, allowing the tan to lie evenly and stay on the skin longer.

We share three homemade scrub recipes in the article.

Skin Moisturizing. Tanning should definitely be done with the application of moisturizers. Do it ideally in advance, just before tanning, because ultraviolet rays aggressively affect the skin and dry it out.

What means are better to use

There can be a variety of products – both for tanning and from tanning. If you have the first phototype of skin – immediately reddening, not tanning – it is best to use products with protection of at least SPF 15-30. Even in this case you will get a beautiful shade.

Many people mistakenly believe that with sunscreens tanning will not be, but this is not true. On the contrary, the color will lie down evenly and without harm.

After tanning, too, you need to use moisturizers – both in the case of the appearance of a golden shade, and in the case of a burn. In the first variant it is necessary for fixing the result, because ultraviolet dries the skin, and with keratinized scales it will be faster to peel off, depriving you of the acquired beautiful tan.

If you have received a burn (the skin is reddened, tingling, itching, blisters appear), special means will help to relieve unpleasant sensations. Be sure to take them with you on vacation, if you want to sunbathe without harming your health.

Learn more about how to care for skin and hair in the summer, told in the material.