The growing awareness of people to the cancer causing and aging effect of the suns rays has led many people to the pleasures of spray tanning.
This has resulted in a growth of urban myths about tanning.
Here we deal with many of the questions that we encounter most frequently.
What is a fake tan? It's a sugar substance applied to the skin that reacts with the skin's amino acids to create a colour.
The ingredient that activates this colour is DEHYDROXYACETONE (DHA) and it is the tanning agent used in all tanning lotions.
It works on the surface layer of the skin.
DHA is derived from fructose, a natural dehydroxide which is used in most good tans on the market.
How long will my spray tan last? This depends on how well you prepare and take care of your skin and tan.
Usually around 6 - 10 days.
Healthy skin tans best! Is spray tanning faster than UV tanning? It most definitely is.
To get a deep bronzed colour using UV beds will take at least 5 or 6 sessions which could take up to 3 hours and cost over £50.
By comparison,spray tanning will take approximately 20 minutes and will normally cost about £25.
00.
So you save on time and money plus all the obvious health benefits of avoiding over exposure to the sun and UV rays.
Can I choose how dark my tan will be? Yes, you can - but within reason.
Different products give different tanning colours.
Your salon will probably only use one manufacturer's product.
In our salon we use St Tropez as we believe it to be the best (yes, we have tested many others).
St Tropez offer 2 versions;standard and dark tans.
The other alternative is to have a succession of tans on successive days.
This will give you a darker shade and also a very big bill! There's no point in asking your technician to spray on more product in one session as there is a limit the amount your skin can absorb at one time.
Will I go orange after tanning? This is one we get asked a lot.
In our salon definitely not as we use St Tropez whose formula contains a hint of green which stops it ever going orange.
We can't vouch for other products but have seen some shockers! Will my tan be streaky? Some care must be taken until the spray tan is dry on your skin.
We always recommend our clients to wear loose clothing and flip flops after their treatment.
Tight fitting clothing can rub the tan off before it's had a chance to dry.
Will the final colour be the same as immediately after I've been sprayed? There's no clear answer to that one.
B way of explanation I should explain how the tanning process works.
The product that is sprayed on to you is a combination of the tanning agent and a guide colour.
The purpose of the guide colour is to allow the technician to see which areas have been covered.
The tanning agent takes about eight hours to fully work on your skin.
We always recommend that you should not shower for at least eight hours after your spray tanning.
The colour that then washes off is the guide colour.
The final colour of your tan is dictated by your own skin colour.
Those with darker skins will have a colour deeper than those with fair skins.
Why does my colour vary even going to the same salon? The final shade of your tan is dictated by the condition of your skin.
As your skin is a living thing, the colour of your tans can very dependent on diet, time of the month, stress, the season, medication and so on.