Why don’t my legs tan?

[Leftbutcameback]

I’ve been away for a few weeks now, mainly in sunny warm countries. I’ve had to wear f50 on my shoulders and top half but definitely still quite tanned. Yet my legs stay white. They don’t burn, I don’t need to use sun cream. I’ve work shorts for days and been in the sun.

When I was younger they used to tan, albeit slowly, but now they stay white even if I use fake tan on them! I have chubby legs which are not toned and I know they would look better with a tan (happy for that to be an artificial one!) Does anyone else have this problem?

Yes my legs barely tan unless I'm in a hot country for months, and I'm half Mediterranean! I use tanning body lotion on my legs in the summer to compensate.

I’d like to know the answer to this too! Why don’t my legs tan but my arms and torso does ?

My head will readily burn. My arms will tan. My body will readily burn. But legs barely tan at all. I can just see a tan line after a whole summer.

Do you moisturise your legs? I read that moisturised skin tans better than dry skin.

My legs go pink then back to white! Rest of me goes golden. I always assumed it's cos I rarely get them out and then because I shave them daily in summer so they never get the chance to build up a layer of tan?

I'm the same. I moisturise my legs every day but they have never tanned. I'm a red head so don't tan much anyway but my arms and feet will tan a bit.

Piggybacking on this thread-does anyone use tan accelerator? I’ve seen some advertised and years ago I bought one to try. You use asa moisturiser 10-14 days before you expose to sun (with SPF). I have the white leg sue as well. I epilate rather than shave so not taking off a skin layer. And exfoliate . I get freckles . Sigh

As a moisturiser
white leg issue.

I’ve been like this my whole life. After trying everything including

exfoliating especially knees before going in the sun or fake tanning
exfoliating with a mitt
moisturising loads in advance

not moisturising at all
all the brands of fake tan
all the brands for gradual tan
the fake tan drops that you put in your normal moisturiser

I have stopped trying. Now I don’t even try to tan my legs. I just use wash off make up. The best one for me is Sally Hansen airbrush legs.

Glad it’s not just me then!

So my legs are a bit dry but no more so than my arms, and also I shave them every other day in summer. Both of these could be a factor. I like the idea of leg make up @WellTidy (except at the beach!) so I’ll give that a go. I’ll also moisturise more, because that’s a winner either way.

It's the angle of the sun. The rays are spread out on your legs as they are perpendicular to the light.

Your shoulders burn because they are facing up.

To tan your legs you need to lie flat in the sunshine.

Oh that's good to know @heartofglass23

Same here, I currently have a lovely colour on my face, legs & feet (NW, it's been sunny here!) legs - stark white!

Same with me. Tan lovely on my arms, back, tummy etc. Shoulders burn. Cleavage burns awful, so I have to cover that up mostly. Actually, my thighs do go brown after they've burnt. But shins and calves... not a chance. They look like 2 pints of milk.

I have this too. I burn badly so slap on factor 50 at the merest whiff of sunshine, but even fake tan doesn't work on my legs.

Despite lots of exfoliating and moisturising my knees and ankles, they get really patchy (regardless of fake tan tried) but my shins and calves stay milk bottle white. I think maybe I don't use enough, but I just don't think any more would absorb!

I'm also in the "pale and interesting" club when it comes to legs, I feel your pain sisters.

Can anyone recommend me a good fake tan for really pale skin? I've a wedding to attend and have just realised I can't do tights due to the sandals I'm wearing (toe post style).

Someone told me the reason you see lots of women on holiday walking up and down the beach in ankle deep water is to tan their legs …. Apparently the water reflects the sun and does a great job of leg tanning. Whether true or not I don’t know- I’m very pale and stay out of the sun.
the fronts of my shins don’t take to fake tan either and I’m religious with moisturiser but I have just bought St Tropez Luxe mouse, and that has done the trick!

Maybe try sitting with your feet in a paddling pool to see if it does the trick?

My legs never tan either. A word of warning: I really tried to tan my legs by not putting on any protection and ended up with skin cancer, so please be careful everyone.

The thing which helped me was definitely moisturising

That’s a really sensible warning @barbarahunter, and sorry that happened to you. Hope all is ok now?

I’m the same but always assumed it was cos I shave them; I think I’m taking the top layer of skin that might start to tan off on a regular basis when the weathers nice

does that even make sense?!

I think it’s just because legs have less melanin than upper body

Yes I'm good now thanks for asking @Leftbutcameback x

Simply the angle of the sun.

Your nose and shoulders etc catch the sun easily when you’re walking around, your arms and rest of your face and body less so but eg if you’re sitting at a table you may have your arms out so facing upwards to the sky IYSWIM.

Your legs are mostly under your body so not getting anywhere near as much direct sun unless you’re lying down with your legs out sunbathing.

My legs tan only since I started running in shorts. I think just from having 3 months of mild sun exposure in shorts in the spring, it sort of primes them to go brown once the sun comes out. This could also be down to as pps have said, the angle of the sun as well because I never run in the middle of the day, only mornings.
this year I thought would be different as it’s not even been that sunny, but no, as soon as I get some rays on my legs they go brown. This never used to happen so I do think the year round shorts must be the reason.

its literally the only good thing about running in shorts in February 🥶