Sunbeds for the Fair...am I mad?

[BuffaloCauliflower]

Please don’t yell at me, but I’m considering getting some sunbeds to tan a bit for my upcoming wedding and honeymoon.

I’m blue eyed and fair, with some freckles, though not the absolutely fairest/palest (foundation usually 3 ish from the bottom, peach or neutral undertones)
I’m usually a ‘wear factor 30, stay under the shade, if I care enough about a tan I’ll get it out of a bottle’ kind of woman. Not a sun worshipper. My skin’s my biggest organ and I want to keep it forever!

But I’ve developed a few allergies to body products as I’ve got older and now regularly react to tanning products which bring up eczema. I’m getting married in a couple of months and would love to have even a bit of a tan for the day and honeymoon, but I’m worried about getting a reaction to self tanner or it rubbing off on my dress.

Is there any way to safely sunbed for a short time? I’m thinking literally 1-2 minutes a couple of times a week. With no base tan would it even work? Can anyone help! Sorry this is a bit of an essay, I wanted to be really clear!

If you can afford a mole check with a private dermatologist every year or so then yes. Have one before you use the sunbed just to check and then whenever they suggest afterwards.

I have phototherapy which is a slightly safer version for psoriasis and my derm checks me all over every time for mole changes.

1-2 minutes twice a week won’t give you much of a tan though.

What about having a spray tan now to see if you react? But sunbeds no. You’re burning your own skin. That’s what a tan is doing. It’s dangerous. I’m sure you’ll look beautiful without tan.

If you don't tan you would need
Longer go and get he lightest spray tan you're comfortable with this is you're wedding don't look back and regret not looking you're best x

I was told no, and I have a similar skin tone/eye colour/etc to you. Although to be honest, 1 - 2 minutes did little, and I had to go to 3 - 4 minutes twice a week to start seeing any difference. I was heavily monitored (it was for a medical reason, not wanting a tan) and the specialist stopped it as skin damage was quick (although not visible on the surface yet).

I'm getting married next year; I'm going to test spray tanning two days before and wearing a white dress; but otherwise I'll just own my whiteness! I think it's something paler people are far more critical about than we should be, and I'd hate to permanently damage my skin for one day... so it's sticking to good SPF and embracing my colour for me!

I'm also very fair and would never consider using a sunbed. Just no.

Embrace the pale!

I am fair skinned, never been on a sunbed in my life and not sunbathed since I was 19 but I've still had a couple of health scares concerning moles. I'm not yelling, it's your business not mine but yes I think you're mad.

Presumably you'll be wearing a white dress? Don't bother tanning! Have you looked at yourself in white? I bet you look great without a tan.

If you burn in the sun then you'll burn on a sunbed! Just get a good spray tan

Please, please never use a sunbed. They should be banned - full stop.
My DH had short sessions of phototherapy under medical supervision and sadly developed skin cancer (very similar skin tone to yours), a friend of a friend used sunbeds regularly and looks 20 years older. It’s like smoking - you know it is one of the main causes of cancers and smoking a little bit now and then won’t remove the risk. Maybe test some other brands of fake tan (Clarins is really nice on fair skin) or gradual tan (Palmer’s doesn’t stain clothes and you’d use it for 3 days, shower in between and not use on the night before wedding so no problem). I hope you find a suitable safe solution for your skin reactions.

I'm not going to yell at you either but I would just say please do a bit of research about sun beds and skin cancer before you do it.
I have lost two friends to melanoma - neither of them were actually fair skinned but both had used sun-beds in the past. Is it really worth it?
I'm only 40 and have not only lost two friends to skin cancer but also know three other people in my friendship group who have had early melanoma removed. That's quite a lot of people - the risks are real. Sun beds and over exposure to sun really do cause skin cancer. Choice is yours but make sure it's a well informed one.

No, just no.

I’d recommend the following gradual tanners for different budgets. Test them
For reactions somewhere hidden:

Palmers cocoa butter
Elemis
Creme de la mer

As someone pale with sensitive skin they are all good and smell nice and won’t rub off

Don’t do it. It’s really not worth the risk. I cabt believe sun beds are still legal

Argh I know you’re all right! Damn social pressures, I’m usually quite happily English Rose!

luckygreeneyes unfortunately it seems to be all tanning products, including the gradual tanners. I think it’s an allergy to the actual tanning active ingredient, it reacts quite quickly on the inside of my elbows (I do sometimes do it anyway and put up with it)

if you burn or freckle in real sun, then youll burn under a sunbed even quicker. You can even smell the burn when you use a sunbed, its quite a gross smell

I have very pale skin, blue eyes, red hair, and freckles, which means NO SUNBED use at all. Sounds like you may not be as fair as me, but sunbed use probably not advisable.

Have (hopefully) linked to to Health and Safety Executive factsheet, found via NHS, and Sunbed Association advice re skin typing and tanning.

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/misc869.pdf

www.sunbedassociation.org.uk/UV_Tanning/Skin_Typing.aspx

No one should ever use sunbeds. I think they should be made illegal.

@BuffaloCauliflower I used sunbeds maybe twice a week for about 6 weeks before my wedding. Took the edge off the paleness but also I've always found my skin clears up in the summer so partly used it to clear my skin.

I know they are not amazing for you but I wear an spf face cream daily, always put Sun cream on and avoid the sun when the UV is highest. Balanced out across my life my skin protection is still better than most!

Please dont do it! As someone who used a sunbed once and regretted it and has had moles removed (thankfully all ok) its just not worth it.

I am the same colouring as you, and like you thought everyone looks better with a tan. But no embrace the pale you will look gorgeous in your wedding dress as you are, be yourself and not think you have to be tanned on the one day you can be a perfect English rose!

Hi, I have the same reaction to all fake tans and the gradual tanners, fake bake etc, nasty itchy rash after use. Have tried them all, the only one that I have no problems with is Clarins, they do drops that you add to your normal moisturiser, it is very subtle but a nice glow, takes away the pasty colour. I find it is often out of stock online but the counters in big stores keep it, ask them for a patch test x

What luckygreensyes said. Just try all sorts of different brands of fake tans. I have eczema and find that the Dove gradual one and St. Moritz ( fiver from cheap chemists ) don’t affect my skin.

Do NOT risk permanently damaging your skin for the sake of one day. Not a single person there including your groom will care about exact shade of your skin. Have you ever come home from a wedding and said “ that was a lovely day, the bride had such a fabulous tan “?

2 mins twice a week will be pointless. It will literally do nothing.

Oh please learn from my mistake, I had 3 cancers cut out of my poor face last year, I am your colouring also, as PP said embrace the pale. Any change in skin colour no matter if red or tan is skin damage, literally you have cooked your skin. You will look great on the day just the colour you are

Oh no, no to sunbeds...and Rosemary46 is right about noone mentioning the bride's fabulous tan!
However, if you do want a slight glow, I'd recommend Clarins too...the drops are very good, and you can build up the effect gradually. www.clarins.co.uk/radiance-plus-golden-glow-booster-for-face/80020731.html#QandATabs Works for face and body.
Worth asking for advice at the counter...and samples if they have them. There are also gentle bronzing powders which you can sweep on face, decolletage etc to give a little colour. You have plenty of time to experiment, and if nothing suits, you will look beautiful as a pale English rose!

Sunbeds/sunbathing triggered a skin pigmentation disorder for me so I won't touch them now. Fortunately it's not harmful but it looks horrible. And obviously the skin cancer risk is real. Go for fake bake or tinted moisturisers.

Please don’t

This is a close friend of mine. She’s actually saturated with cancer from a mole.

#melanomaawareness

She’s front page of the local paper this morning.