Effectiveness of Spray Tans

Spray on tanning is currently the best alternative to sun tanning and tanning booths. By using spray on tans, you are able to avoid any of the unnecessary health risks that come from UV rays. Spray on tans have essentially no long term health risks, with a few rare exceptions, so for those that are trying to get darker, sexier skin, a spray tan is the safest option currently available.

But a safe option does not necessarily mean the best option. For a spray on tan to be useful, it must also be effective. So how effective are spray on tans, and what can you expect from using any fake tanning system?

Spray on Tan Efficacy

It was not long ago where spray on tans tended to leave a yellow, streaky residue that was the subject of public mockery for years. Since then, however, many products have honed their chemicals, and these days spray on tans do, in fact, look like regular tans. There are several aspects you need to consider before this is true:

·        The product must be one of the more well-known products – cheaper knockoffs are still streaky.

·        You must make sure that you apply the tanning lotion correctly.

Provided you follow both of those rules, however, your fake tan should pass off for a real tan with ease. There are still products that are not quite as user friendly, but if you make a good decision when it comes to which products you use and buy, you should be okay. Also, stay away from anything labeled a “bronzer” as these are designed to coat your skin an orange hue, and are primarily used by bodybuilders.

Short Term Effects

One of the things to note about this type of tanning, however, is that it is incredibly short term. Sunless tanning only “lasts” anywhere from 2 to 7 days before it starts to fade, and to keep up your tan a new coat must be applied. If you plan on keeping your tan’s appearance for a long period of time, this means that you need to schedule time to apply a new coat often – at least once a week, if not more.

So while the tan itself easily passes off as a real tan, you will have to reapply the coat often to keep the tan up. Otherwise the tan skin will fade fairly quickly, and within a week or two it may fade away altogether.

Overall, sunless tanning is an effective and safe way to get your skin the color that you want. By following the directions on the bottle (and going with a brand that is known to provide an effective fake tan), you will be able to get the skin tone that you prefer, and to the naked eye it will appear as though the tan is completely real. But be advised that over time your tan is going to fade, so before you decide to do sunless tanning, make sure you are ready to commit to the idea of reapplying the coats over and over again for a long period of time.

Return to Tanning Tips Guide Main Page

Text copyright 2010 TanningTipsGuide.com and may not be reproduced without consent. This is not the official web page of any of the products or places listed on this site, this is a review page created by an individual. Consult your doctor before beginning any treatment.