Tanning Bed Tips - 3 Simple Yet Effective Tips to a Healthy Tan

Tanning beds can be a great way to get the nice bronze or golden brown look you've always wanted. Rain, shine, cold, or hot, tanning beds allow you to look your best year round. However, tanning beds do come at a small price. If used incorrectly they can be quite hazardous to your health and skin. Taking the right precautions before a tanning session is critical if you don't want to get premature cancer or aging skin.

There are a few simple tanning bed tips that can help you get the most out of your sessions so you can get that beautiful "tanned" look year round.

Use Lotion

1) One of the best ways to prevent over tanning and eventual skin cancer is the proper use of tanning lotion. Tanning lotions come in a variety of flavors that best suit your skin type and the desired look. Fair skinned individuals are especially prone to tanning disasters if they do not properly use lotions. However, dark skinned people aren't off the hook either. They are mistaken when they believe that they are immune to the ill effects of tanning. Not only does tanning lotion protect you from overexposure to UV rays, it can help you recover faster and obtain a more even tan throughout.

Understand Your Skin Type

2) Make sure you understand your skin type and the proper usages for your type of skin. As stated before, fair skinned individuals need to take extra precautions when using a tanning bed. Most commercial and home use tanning beds come with different power settings that are adjustable to your skin type. It is recommended you follow these guidelines to reduce the chance of overexposure and unwanted side effects. Most salon employees are aware of this and will adjust the setting accordingly, however if you own a personal home tanning bed, be sure to read the manual for proper use.

Avoid Overexposure

3) The most important thing to follow when using a tanning bed is DON'T GET BURNT. Burning your skin due to harmful UV rays can be very detrimental to your health. As resilient as our skin is, it is not indestructible. Overuse of a tanning bed can be deceiving as you don't notice the side effects until much later in life. Skin cancer, premature aging, and loss of skin elasticity are all side effects of improper tanning bed use.

Follow these 3 simple tips, and you should have no problems keeping your tan and skin healthy.