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sunbeds
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm really pale and fake tan just doesn't work for me (partly because I'm obviously naturally pale, I think, so it looks really obvious). I'm thinking about using a sunbed, but I have no idea about them. Will I be in a cubicle, or a room? Or just in a little tube thing like in the video for Zombie Nation? :eek: Will I be naked, or in underwear, or in shorts or what? Or does it depend on what I want? Do I have to wear a low factor sun cream to avoid burning? Or is it okay to go without if I'm only in for a few mins? Or is it pointless using it in any case?
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I know its not fair and everything, but if youre an english rose, then any tanning salon worth its salt wouldnt let you on there anyway.
Not all fake tans are the same. Experiment and find one that suits you.
And surely, the parts of your body you wash more than the rest (hands etc.) are gonna fade faster which is also a bit of a giveaway. Unless of course, you usually wear gloves all through summer
ALSO, doesn't it rub off on clothes? Especially white clothes? And to keep on topping it up every few days, won't it cost a hell of alot? Esepcially if you're using St. Tropez ;[
Anyway as for the original question:
In most places you'll be in a room. You'll uh... be wearing whatever you want obviously o_O Though you're as well going naked (or at least topless) unless you want white patches everywhere. The door will be locked anyway, so noone's gonna see you. There's absolutely no point wearing cream - just don't go in for as long. Start with about 4 minutes, and build it up. Obviously it's gonna take a few sessions before you start to notice anything (especially if you're really pale), so don't give up if you don't notice anything right away.
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:eek2:
Sunbeds are a much more intense, artificial Sun. They produce the same UVA and UVB that causes sun burn, skin damage, skin cancer and genetic defects that the Sun would but you get the same dose in a much shorter time period which makes it even more harmful and even more important to wear sun cream.
I'd make not risking death a fairly significant point.
Just don't do it.
but look for high pressure standups.... you get a more even tan
then the beds give you... also.... i go tanning naked (tanning lines, are not pretty)...
so when you do the standup you dont' have to worry
about putting your bum where others have sweated and stuff...
if they don't have the standups.. well.. obviously you're stuck
with a bed....
also.. everywhere you go.. is gonna be a little different..
some places will have newer bulbs etc. etc. so you
should always ask people that work there.. say 'this is my first time, and i burn easily" and they'll recommend a good time for you
oh and ONE MORE thing.... they give you goggles definitely wear them
b/c they protect your eyes and what not... but i would move them around
a little while you tan.. so that way you don't get raccoon marks
around your eyes... liek my friend has..
eta:: the whole... putting your bum where others have sweated remark makes it soudn liek the beds are dirty... but just to assure you they're not dirty.. well at least over here they're not, they're wiped down after every use but just.. the thought of it, you know?
*sigh* Shut up.
People have so many misconceptions about suncream. If you have suncream with SPF factor 5, it allows you to stay in the sun 5 times longer without burning. If you have suncream with SPF factor 30, it allows you to stay in the sun 30 times longer without burning.
So, like I said, it's more logical to go on for a shorter time without cream, than for a longer time with cream - you're just wasting your money that way. And don't even bother saying go for a shorter time with cream - you'll never tan.
The suncreams contain compounds that absorb or reflect UV radiation to avoid it affecting your skin and moisturise to prevent drying out and rapid ageing.
As I said:
Not going on sunbeds > going on a sunbed for a short duration rarely with suitable precautions > being a vain, health ignorant retard.
b/c it is in a controlled environment.. you control how much you get
meaning.. you get out of there BEFORE you get burned...
which is why it's timed.. and which is also why kiezo and i are both
telling her to go in for a short amount of time only..
tanning is just a defense mechanism your skin uses.. it's when you BURN
that you're actually damaging your skin..
What is a tan and how is it produced?
The darkening of the skin that is commonly referred to as tanning is produced when UV rays from the sun trigger the production of the pigment melanin in the skin. Rather than being a sign of a healthy process, getting a tan through sunbathing actually means that your skin has been damaged and is trying to protect itself.
Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, from the British Medical Association, said, "People need to be educated about the myths of tanning. A suntan is not a sign of good health. A tan, even when there's no burning, always means the skin has been damaged." Even though a tan will fade over time, the damage it has caused skin remains. This skin damage puts you at a greater risk of skin cancer and it also causes premature ageing.
Some people get their tans by using sunbeds. However, sunbeds mimic the effect of the sun by emitting UVA radiation and cause skin damage in the same way as normal sunbathing. In fact, said Cancer Research UK (CRUK), "There's no such thing as a safe tan - unless it comes out of a bottle."
There are some myths that suggest that getting a tan could help protect against the sun's harmful effects, but as Dr. Nathanson said, "A suntan is not nature's own sunscreen, it does not protect you from ultra-violet radiation." In fact, continued exposure will only result in increasing your risk of skin cancer.
A spokesperson for the Australasian College of Dermatologists added, "A suntan does not prevent skin cancer. It's a sign of exposure to enough ultraviolet radiation to damage the skin, increasing your risk of premature skin ageing, photo-ageing and skin cancer."
Harsh reality of tanning
The harsh reality of tanning is that, whether through sunbathing or using sunbeds, people are literally risking their lives. "A tan isn't a sign of health," explained a spokesperson for the UK Department of Health's Sun Safe campaign. "Your skin tans in order to protect itself from more skin damage. If people changed their behaviour, they would dramatically reduce their risk of skin cancer."
Neither do you need to have experienced sunburn in order to be damaged by the sun. "The damage done to the skin from even one episode of overexposure can never be repaired," explained a spokesperson for the Australasian College of Dermatologists. "That is why it is so important to make sun protection a routine part of your life, from birth to old age."
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), exposure to UV rays in the course of getting a tan could also have effects on your immune system. "Several studies have demonstrated that exposure to environmental levels of UV radiation alters the activity and distribution of some of the cells responsible for triggering immune responses in humans," explained a spokesperson.
As a result, sun exposure may increase the risk of developing viral, bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections, an outcome far from the consequences many sun worshippers bargain for. But it hasn't always been the case that people desire a suntan - 100 years ago, most people craved pale skin, believing it to be a social and fashion asset.
Let's consult a doctor
you then slowly build your minutes up, and where i work i usually tell people who are very fair once they get to 10 minutes to stick at that.
using the creams that are made for sunbeds not a normal suncream you use in the sun, by using a cream its 10 times better then nothing at all, if you dont use a cream your skin is just going to dry out quicker, and the rays from the tubes will reflect off your body, rather then attracting to your body which is what happens when you use a cream, using a cream also is going to keep your tan longer,
To clarify: once I am no longer white as a milk bottle, and once I have £30 to use on frivolities, I can go to a salon and get a spray on tan. I do not want to make this totally obvious by going from white to brown all of a sudden, I would rather make it a gradual change. And btw, my sisters are both in their 30s and use sunbeds, and look much younger than they are, so poisonfairy, I don't think your theory works. People age at different rates. Yes, I do realise that sunbeds make you age faster before someone jumps down my throat, however as I am currently 19 and can be taken for as young as 16, I don't think I have anything to worry about *quite* yet. Fate is fate. What happens, happens.
the fact is theres so many things that people do that can cause them to age, aslong as you are using a cream and regularly moisturise your skin LOTS makking sure it doesnt dry out, then using sunbeds in moderation can be ok, its also very good for alot of skin conditions and such things as athritus (sp)
the rays from a sunbed are alot more controlled then the rays you are getting from the sun, you don't know what your getting with the state of the ozone layer out there.
I have friends that sunbeds work brilliantly for, because they have naturally olive skin, but on me, I've learnt to realise it's not worth the hassle or the health risks.
Spray tans are really good I've found, the ones where you stand in a booth and it's done by a machine. However it only lasts a few days so its only worth it for a special occasion. And it does tend to rub off on white clothes for the first day or so..
The sunbed salon my friends go to is horrible, its 200watts which is too strong for skin anyway, and its not staffed, it just has a machine you put the money into. It made my friends skin go bright red and physically peel off after one 6 minute session.
lol its not the same cream you use especially for sunbeds as you do out in the sun, sunbed creams don't have the factors in, all there doing is helping the rays tan your skin quicker and keeping your skin moisturised so it doesn't dry out, and your skin wont peel losing your tan quicker, so they also prolong your tan.
I don't see the point of really using the beds regularly without a cream, as ive found since i first started at the salon i work at, i never usedto use a cream, but now i always do and i don't have to use the beds as much to keep my colour and i don't have as dry skin as before.
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WHAT WAS THE POINT IN ME TYPING OUT A REPLY WHEN YOU DIDN'T EVEN READ IT!?
You get all sorts of dodgy cream for sunbeds though - even ones that amplify it
I thought the whole moisturising thing went without saying anyway.
Well sunbed creams that are sold in our shop are all to help you tan, and safer then not using any at all, but yeah you can get dodgy ones from cheap shops about, thats why its best to get them somewhere that knows what you need.
* pale with freckles
* very pale, with fair hair, burns easily.
*pale with dark hair, burns then tans.
* pale but tans easily.
For better results - try saying something more worthwhile
Maybe a glow will look nicer and more natural.
I did the first time - you ignored it and repeated your original point that I'd just addressed
Tans looks healthy, 'glows' look radioactive.
chan-chan - I've never heard of a glow cream. What is it exactly?
Rainbow Brite - I've got fair skin and fair hair, no freckles, I've had a tan once but tend to stay out of the sun as I get heat rash, and my mum has an allergy to sunlight so I don't want to go the same way as her :-/ I do burn, but that's because I'm silly and have a habit of forgetting to put sun cream on when I'm going to be in the sun for a long time.
They have posters in most tanning salons telling you if youve got fair hair and fair skin, then not to use them. Youll be wasting your money because youll just burn. Some tanning salons will tell you itll be OK but thats because they want your money.
with fair skin and fair hair you will be more prone to skin cancer too. More and more people in their twenties are now appearing with skin cancers and this is directly linked to sunbed use and overdoing it in the sun.
I know you said you dont want health advice, but im giving it anyway. If you want to use a sunbed with an unsuitable skin type, then go ahead, im sure youll find someone to take your money off you, but id SERIOUSLY suggest fake tan instead.
The bodyshop (light tan) one is good and natural looking. Thats the one I use on my legs usually because even if I get a tan, my legs seem to stay white, but the colour of the fake tan is no different to a light real tan.
http://www.atlantacamera.com/Sun%20Damage.html
http://familydoctor.org/159.xml
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43077
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/beauty/experts/columnists/articles/0,,566496_579501,00.html
Having said all that, if you go to a decent tanning place, they *should* advise you. However, considering that most of the people who work there are all vain and bright orange, and just want your money (it is also an unregulated industry) it's unlikely you will get great advice.
You may not like looking younger than you do, but you will soon. I'm always being asked if I am at school, despite being 22, but I would rather that than being all haggard.
What racist things do people say to you?
A girl I used to work with owned a sunbed at home and used it a hell of a lot, if you touched her skin it was thin like paper and soft like an 80 year's skin - it was real freaky!! You could see the sunbed sessions had seriously aged her skin and she was in her early 20's
no it protects you against the sun 5x longer than average fair skin not just burns but uv damage, thats why sun cream stops you tanning