Tanning
 

We all know that natural sun tanning can create havoc with one's health, but still people bask for hours in the sun trying to get that perfect bronzed glow.  We thought that the problem for getting or keeping a tan during the long winter months was solved in the sixties when tanning lotions and creams came on the market.  But, for those of us who used them, we have memories of the yellow or orange "glow" that seemed to give the body a look not unlike an overly ripened navel orange.  Worse still, parts of the body (the knees, elbows, knuckles, etc.) were darker or "more orangey" than other parts because they absorbed more of the lotion.  And then, there were the palms of the hand that grew darker as we rubbed the cream onto our body parts, causing the palms to look like the dark gnarly skin of a walnut.
 

Later, in the seventies, sun tanning booths were an answer to replacing natural sun tanning and tanning creams.  But every day we learn more that tanning booths can create as much or more skin damage as the sun.  Besides, unless one submits to being tied to a rotisserie spit with legs and arms spread-eagle, one still has the problem of uneven tanning.  The natural sun tan and the neon light induced tan eventually would produce a dried out over-abundance of skin making us look more like a Sharpei puppy than a human being, creating a need for an even more expensive procedure involving "nipping and tucking, cutting and sewing."
 

Most recently someone discovered that the problem with lotions and creams lies with the application, not the substances themselves, though the latter have been improved with scientific research.  Thus, the newest invention is with the application, the procedure.  Mist or spray tanning involves an application using an airbrush and can be done by someone with a limited amount of training.
 

Spray tanning uses a water soluble bronzer that gives an immediate tan which washes off with the next shower.  It can be applied before an important event (such as a wedding) and by the time it is showered off (hours later) a more permanent tan lasting several days has taken affect. Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) works with the amino acids in the skin to create the tan.  There is no UVA or UVB radiation that causes skin damage.  As the skin naturally exfoliates (somewhat like a snake sheds its skin) the dead skin is loosened and falls away.  Just like the natural sunning process, the procedure has to be repeated regularly to retain a glowing tan.  Uneven or orange coloration is avoided by the use of improved lotions/creams, in addition to a more even application.

 

Excerpt from: "Great Wedding Tips from the Experts."   (McGraw-Hill Publishers) ©2003.

Robbi Ernst, III.

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