Tanning booths
Question: I like being tan, especially on my legs. I lie out in the sun. Is a tanning booth healthier?
Mimi: Philosophically, why would we want to be a different color from what God made us? In the past, people with fair complexions were considered more refined. People who were darker were considered less refined because they worked outside in the fields. That changed when Coco Chanel showed up tanned. So now everybody want to be tan.
On my list from one to ten of some of the worst things to do to your skin, the tanning booth is right up there with self-mutilation. Is that strong enough for you? I see too much cancer to accept excessive tanning. Okay, I will be more middle-of-the-road. If you absolutely MUST tan your legs, find a tanning salon that has a legs-only booth. If you get wrinkles, sagging skin, blotches, and cancer that has to be dug out and leave horrid scars, at least you can cover that up with long pants. So have at it. But you don’t want that on the rest of your body.
I am not as opposed to sun exposure. We need to be out in the sun for our health and well being. Sunshine should enter our eyes to make us happy. Too much sun causes eye problems. Sun needs to stream on our exposed skin to produce vitamin D for strong bones and again, happy hormones.
If you sunbathe, please stay OUT OF THE SUN between 11 am and 3 pm. You can get enough sun in the morning and afternoon.
If you want to tan your legs so you don’t need to wear stockings, cover the rest of your body and expose only your legs. Put gobs of sun block on everywhere but your legs, wear clothes, cover up, sit in the shade and put your legs in the sun.
If you have a “farmer’s tan” where your upper arms and forearms are tan but the tan stops at the sleeve line, put on a sleeveless tank top. Slather sun block on your face, neck, back, chest, and arms up to the white line. Do some yard work with only the white upper arms and shoulders exposed. This will even out the tan. Wear gloves when you work in the yard. You wash your hands so much that you wash off sun block. Keep your hands as sun-free as possible (which is almost impossible). Hands in the sun get sun spots and saggy skin.
There is discussion on getting a “base” tan before going on vacation. Many dermatologists think that it is a bad idea to get any tan. They say that there is no such thing as a healthy tan.
If you are going on vacation and will not be able to stay out of the sun, then getting a base tan makes sense. In your bathing suit or shorts (whatever you will wear on vacation) put on moisturizer and go in your own back yard before 11 am and after 3 pm. You can get tan without frying. This tan will give you some protection against a killer, raging, painful sunburn. On vacation avoid sun overexposure. Use sunblock, and avoid the mid day sun.” Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun” (Noel Coward, 1931) Well, you ought to see an Englishman in Gibraltar in the mid day sun. It’s a scary sight.
The safe way to obtain a lovely tan is with sunless self tan. Start with waxed, well buffed, and exfoliated skin. Rub a moisturizing cream into your heels, knees, elbows, or any other dry skin areas that will grab the self tanner. Apply a good quality sunless tanning lotion. This is one place that you don’t want to go cheap. Spend your money on a good brand. You will be happier with the outcome. The most popular brand in America is St. Tropez. It is sold in beauty salons and spas.
Apply smoothly. Wash your hands (you don’t want tanned palms). Allow the lotion to dry before putting on clothes. Apply both morning and night until you obtain the tan that you want. Then apply just to maintain the color.
Remember that a sunless self tan is NOT a true tan. It will not protect you against sun damage. But it also does not cause sun damage. If you go in the sun with a fake tan, your skin will burn as if you had no tan at all. Always wear a sun block.
The tanning power in the lotion loses it potency in time. So whatever you have left over from last year is probably dead. Start with fresh product.
Avoid sun on your face to avoid wrinkles, age spots, and cancer. Use a make-up bronzer to give your skin a sunny glow.
