Tanning - Safety recommendations

Most people are a die-hard fan of a healthy bronzed skin. They will go to any means to get a tan that makes them look slimmer and prettier. But they may not be aware of the precautions one should take while tanning your skin. We discuss some safety tips here to guide you when you next decide have your skin tanned. Feel free to share them with family & friends if you think they are important. 1.If you want to prevent places like your knees etc. from getting too dark, apply baby oil or gel to protect them before starting your sunless tanning procedure. 2.Be patient. After you are finished with your tanning, wait at least a couple of hours before getting wet, whether swimming, bathing or taking a shower. Soap can cause a considerable reduction in your tan. 3.Shaving should not be done right before tanning, especially a sunless tanning. It may irritate your skin & even cause infection. 4.If you are not tanning hands, wear disposable gloves while applying the suntan lotion on the rest of your body. 5.Tanning lotions may spoil discoloration in your clothes, it is best to dress in your oldest clothes when going for a sunless tanning session. 6.Just because you are getting a tan does not mean you are automatically protected from the sun. Unless specified, most tanning treatments do not provide a protection from the UV rays of the sun. So remember to apply your sunscreen lotion a few hours before you go out. 7.When you go to a tanning salon, do not take off your protective goggles when the machine is on at any cost. If you do, you may get cataract in your eyes, so it is best to take the precaution and protect your eyes from the harmful tanning lamps. 8.Some medicines have a photosensitivity warning. If you swallow them while lying down on the tanning bed, you may suffer an undesirable reaction. Many hormonal birth control pills and antihistamines are included in the photosensitive list. So before making an appointment at the sunless tanning salons, clear it up with your doctor. 9.Most salons specify a maximum time you spend in the tanning bed. Trust the experts and do not try to be clever, else you may end up baking your skin to an unwanted shade. Just like prolonged exposure to the sun rays is harmful to your skin, so is spending long times in tanning beds bad for your skin.