Tanning beds?

[Twinboymum2010]

So I have a wedding next week and I have my legs out and I want to have a bit of a tan. Self tanner never goes right on my skin so please don’t suggest any because I garuntee I have tried most if not all of them!
I have some minutes to use up at a tanning shop, the problem is I am SUPER pale. I don’t tan easily. I am aware of the cancer risks of using sunbeds and I don’t plan on using them long term. The wedding is friday next week and I have started going every day but I’m just wondering how long I should be going on for each time? I obviously want to maximise the amount of tan I can get before next week but I’m aware that if I burn then it will be 3 steps back and I will have to give up! I am using a tanning lotion in combination with tanning beds but looking for some tips from fellow fair skinned gals. Thanks in advance!

i would use some gradual tanner, and then on the Wednesday go on for a tiny 6 minutes with a cream with bronzer. Buy a bottle on Amazon. It will be cheaper there.

I use tanning beds for bacne control in the winter months, pretty regularly tbh. No preaching here, but this doesn’t seem appropriate.

I really wouldn’t recommend repeated visits for a quick tan.

Gradual tanner is the same as self tanner for me, extremely patchy, especially around elbows, fingers, knees etc. I am a bigger girl too so find it goes patchy on cellulite and stretch marks. I have tried many different gradual tanners and even after one application I wake up patchy as hell

Using some moisturiser on heels, knees, elbows, hands before the gradual tanner makes a huge difference in stopping the patchyness for me.

Have you tried going for a spray tan?

I hate fake tan so no preaching from me. You’re not meant to go daily if you use a sun bed anyway. Every other day and build up. How pale are you? Do you burn in the sun easily? I’d do nothing more than 4,5,6 mins every other day. It’s really hard to advise.

You can always do more minutes. You can’t do less…

I recently had a skin cancer scare. Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing but it was a worrying few weeks and having bits chopped off me and then stitched up wasn’t pleasant. The thing that struck with me though is that I have hardly ever used sun beds (I literally used one for 2 weeks when I was 18. I’m pushing 50 now) and the consultant said that even that, those two short weeks so many years ago, could make a difference. I had no idea. Having said all that, self tan is also a disaster for me too…always streaky and orange! But a spray tan always comes out well so maybe try that?

I was just wondering who still uses sunbeds. Just like smoking.

Then all shocked and sad when they get cancer some years later.

I use sun beds 3 min at a time for 2 to 3 sessions spaced out over 2 weeks.

I do this every year before going on holiday to prevent sun rash, and it seems to be enough to get a bit of a tan

I cannot believe they are still legal. It is not worth it.

Speaking as fellow pale person and also someone waiting to find out if a weird mole is cancer, don’t do it!! It’s so not worth the skin cancer risk.

Get a spray tan instead, I’m crap at self tan and it always looks patchy and rubbish but i feel great with a spray tan.

Like others have said, I would try a proper spray tan. Self tanners don't work on me either, I always end up patchy but spray tans are a different story!!!

This Works have a really good leg serum that's tinted.

Have you tried body blur makeup? I bought a Vita liberata body blur in medium and it made my legs a lovely colour, with the added bonus of covering my chicken-skin legs!

The only negative is you need to be very careful rubbing your legs against anything!

Also meant to say fake tan always looks rubbish on my legs too. No problem with my upper body and feet but my legs do not like fake tan

You won’t be able to go from very pale to tanned in two weeks, not using them in line with the safety advice. And I think it would be really foolish to ignore that advice, given that that’s a legal minimum. I knew someone in the 90s who spent hours on them- as long each day as you’d spend on the beach on holiday. She didn’t see 50.

Thanks everyone. Decided to give up on the tanning beds after all your replies and booked a professional spray tan on tuesday instead. I have the sally hansen airbrush legs which is amazing but looks silly when I usenit on my legs and the rest of me is still pale af 🤣

Very wise decision to give up on the tanning bed idea OP. I honestly thought that trend had died in the late 90s when everyone finally realized how dangerous they are! Spray tan is a much better solution.

Fab decision OP.

just on the Sally Hanson legs - I know it says legs on the can but you can use it everywhere. It looks just as good in your arms/shoulders/chest/ wherever you need to use it.

It might sound really obvious but anytime someone mentions it, I remember the look of wonder on my best friends face when she worked out she could use it on more places than just her legs 😁