Body Changes When Tanning

When you spend time in a tanning booth, it is expected that you will receive darker, tanner skin. That is the point of the tanning booth – to expose yourself to pure UV rays in order to darken your skin in a controlled environment, without depending on the sun.

Tanning booths are a good way to get tan when the sun is unavailable, or when you are worried that you may spend too much time in the sun and over expose yourself to the sun’s harmful rays. However, tanner skin is not the only thing you can expect from your time in the tanning booth. There are also several other possible changes that may occur.

How Your Body Changes in the Tanning Booth

1.      Hair Color

There are people that have natural hair colors that change when exposed to the sun’s rays. Some people’s hair has what are called “Keratinocytes.” These pigments are sensitive to light and release a pigment hormone that can change the color of your hair. If your hair has this feature, then the time you spend in the tanning booth is also going to change your hair color. You can protect yourself from this change by covering your hair while you tan.

2.      Skin Condition

When you are tanning, your skin is being exposed to radiation that penetrates deep inside the skin, heating it up and causing the tanning. But in addition to tanning, the liquid inside of your skin is also evaporating. After you tan, your skin will likely feel dry and lose a lot of its life and moisture. It is recommended that you moisturize soon after tanning in order to give your skin back some of its moisture. Note: It is also a good idea to drink water before you go into the tanning booth because that same heat that removes moisture from your skin is also going to be removing water from your body.

3.      Muscle Appearance

No, tanning does not increase the size of your muscles. But it does give your skin a naturally leaner look. That leaner look will make your muscles look larger, and that appearance will show not long after you have first seen your tan. Some people tan specifically to make their muscles appear larger, and there is no denying that the process works quite well.

Changes From Tanning

Tanning booths are designed to put you in greater control of your tanning. But you should always remember that tanning booths may cause other changes to your appearance as well. Your hair may change color if you have a high amount of keratinocytes. Your skin is going to be much dryer without moisturizing. And your muscles are going to appear larger even though they actually remain unchanged.

When you go to the tanning salon, don’t forget that anything the sun can do the tanning salon will do as well. It is important to ensure that you know exactly what will happen to you and your body when you are tanning in a tanning booth, so that you know how you will see yourself when you look in the mirror.

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