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Tanning beds - how to use them?

terminat

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At my tennis club, there's been a solarium (stand-up UV tanning booth) for a while now, and I was wondering how exactly one goes about using it - or more exactly, how one should use it.

I know that you get in, put on goggles (these aren't actual goggles are they, just eyecaps, else you'd get obvious tanlines on your face wouldn't you?) and switch it on, but how long do you stay in for, and how long does it take to get a tan? Obviously I don't want to get skin cancer or anything, I would just like my fair skin to turn a nice golden colour. Will there be any noticeable effects after the first session, or does it take repeated usage? Also, for people with fair skin who burn relatively easily, how long should they stay in the booth for?

Thanks for all the help - any info you guys could give me on your experiences with UV tanning would be great
smile.gif
Sorry if it sounds like I'm rambling/asking dumb questions
shog[1].gif
 

LabelKing

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Personally, I think a paler complexion is more attractive especially given the fact that so many tans end up terrible.
 

sonick

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Its best to have repeated visits, about 10-15 mins each to start, and gradually build on it.
 

Edward Appleby

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I've never understood the American fixation on tanning.
 

mr_economy

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Originally Posted by Edward Appleby
I've never understood the American fixation on tanning.

It works on the same principle as smoking. Bombard them with enough marketing when they are young to make them think it's cool, and then they will be hooked for life - regardless of the cancer and leather skin that go along with it.
 

Bradford

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Start with sessions of no more than 8-10 minutes once or twice a week...

You will need to achieve a base tan first and then extend it as you get darker.

Also - get some indoor tanning lotion. You can probably buy it at the club or any tanning salon but it is expensive. Perhaps buy a sample size first and then look for it on Ebay - much less expensive to buy it that way.
 

mensimageconsultant

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GQgeek

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I used to tan but I stopped. A golden complexion just isn't worth the highly increased risk of skin cancer. Plus, you'll age faster if you tan on a regular basis. If you do go, make sure you get a good tanning lotion. It's essential for moisturizing your skin.
 

J-Shock

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I started tanning last Spring as a matter of fact. A friend of mine opened up a tanning salon and he imported these top-of-the-line tanning beds from Sweden. They are supposed to stimulate Vitamin D and not be too hazardous for you. The old tanning beds are supposed to be extremelly bad for you, but with the UV index going up every year, tanning beds are not that bad.

The important is to put a lot of tanning cream. The best are with Hemp in it to moisturize your skin. Also you can buy a cream with bronzer, which helps the tanning process and you keep it longer.

Start with one session 1 week for 8-10 minutes. Not more. Also, spend the money for a good cream. There are some that are worth $20 like there is one that is $150. The better the cream, the better the overall experience.

Also i use to tanning salon as a way to lift my morale. WHen it rains a lot here, i get depressed and gloomy! I need some sun to make me feel better and the salon actually helps me a lot.

Rant over! sorry about that
 

terminat

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I started tanning last Spring as a matter of fact. A friend of mine opened up a tanning salon and he imported these top-of-the-line tanning beds from Sweden. They are supposed to stimulate Vitamin D and not be too hazardous for you. The old tanning beds are supposed to be extremelly bad for you, but with the UV index going up every year, tanning beds are not that bad.
Yep, actually I read something about that - I think they're called "high pressure" tanning beds, and emit no UV-B rays (responsible for skin burn/cancer) and only UV-A rays (what actually gives you the tan) and they're much safer. In that case, how do you find out if a tanning bed is of the old low-pressure or new high-pressure kind?

Also, one last question - how do the goggles work exactly? Do they still allow the area around your eyes to be tanned whilst protecting your eyes or what?

Really appreciate all the help so far
biggrin.gif
 

J-Shock

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i just put the little cups over my eyes. I dont think tanning your eyelids is something good for your view. They dont make your eyelids completely white compared to the rest of your skin so dont worry about that.

As for the quality of the beds, the best is to talk to the owner of the salon. In my case, its my friend and he gave me the whole info the first time i went to make me feel at ease because he knew i had never tanned.

I know the machine at my gym is a peice of crap and i would never go in it because i see the people come out of it looking like the just got out of an episode of the Simpsons.

Ask around, usually the more you pay for your session, the more recent is the machine and the better the quality.
 

Max

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Don't do it. Next thing you know you'll be a puerto rican level tanorexic.
 

ts4them

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Most places use the disposable "wink-ease" now instead of goggles. They're little stickers - they cover less of your eye, and you don't get as much of a line of demarcation.
 

terminat

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kk, thanks for all the advice
smile.gif


One last question - obviously you'd think you'd use the tanning booth naked, yet I would have thought you'd need to wear something across your, uh, private parts as a dose of UV radiation isn't probably too healthy for them I'm guessing. Is this the case?
 

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