How To Avoid Your Tan From Fading Blotchy

“Why is my sunless tan fading Blotchy?” It’s a question we have all heard more than once in our careers as sunless technicians. Before answering this question it is important to understand how the browning affect with solution takes place. The active ingredient in sunless solutions (DHA also known as Dihydroxyacetone) works with the amino acids on the skin and air to create the brown appearance.

Example: If you take a bite out of an apple and leave it for a while the acids in the apple combine with air to create a natural reaction resulting in a browning affect. This reaction is similar to what takes place with the DHA, air and the amino acids on your client’s skin. The solution absorbs into the skin cells and the air activates the solution creating the appearance of a tan.

Proper skin preparation is very important. Removing loose, dead, dry skin cells will prevent an un-even application of sunless solution and will improve and extend your tanning results.

Skin preparation and application technique will determine the end result. There are a few scenarios a technician can explore if their client has a sunless tan fading:

1.)  The client did not properly prepare for their airbrush tan. The purpose of exfoliating prior to a sunless session is to remove the loose dead skin cells that naturally shed from the body every four weeks. That means twenty-five percent of our skin is exfoliated away every seven days. Once these skin cells slough away, your sunless tan gradually fades. Remove as many dead skin cells as you can prior to receiving your airbrush tan treatment. If solution is applied over any loose cells, the sunless tan will shed off pre-maturely in those areas leaving a patchy result.

How to properly exfoliate: Keep it simple. We recommend using a regular washcloth, loofa, or exfoliating mitt and body wash to exfoliate the skin. The fibers found in most washcloths are perfect to loosen and gently remove tired, dry skin. We recommend our natural exfoliating sugar scrub. Make sure to rinse off thoroughly be any residue may prevent the tanning solution from penetrating. Scrubbing hard can damage healthy skin.

2.)  The client did not properly hydrate their sunless tan. A lack of moisture in the skin due to skin conditions or dry air (generally found in the winter months) can cause uneven shedding of the skin. To minimize this natural occurrence, moisturize the skin with a non-mineral oil and petroleum oil based lotion.

3.)  The technician applied too much solution. The over application of a sunless solution is often the culprit for uneven fading or blotchiness. The solution needs air to react with the skin. By over spraying the client, the air cannot penetrate through the solution to react with the skin. The solution must be applied in light, even strokes.

4.)  The technician applied solution over an existing sunless tan. Other than piggyback applications to add depth to your color, you should never apply sunless solution over an existing sunless tan. The skin must be clean and free from previous sunless residue. Leftover airbrush tans from previous sessions will have noticeably darker patches, resulting in uneven fading.

5.)  The technician used too deep a color. Skin cells shed at different times. If the color is too dark for the clients natural skin tone the fading will be more prominent. The fading will appear patchy/blotchy. Always assess your clients skin tone and use the proper color. If a client insists on the darkest possible color, you should set realistic expectations on how their tan will fade.

Some other notable reasons for patchy/blotchy fading can be; the use of deodorant, makeup, perfume, lotions and powders prior to or a sunless application will prevent the solution from absorbing evenly. Exfoliating, sweating, rubbing or excessive exposure to liquids (i.e. swimming, sweat from exercising, etc.) may also result in patchy/blotchy fading.

Like everything else, moderation is the key. Often our desire for perfection leads us down a path of excess. In this instance, excessive sunless application will create the opposite of perfection. Skin is always shedding. This process is random. If the skin is over treated with solution or has been reapplied too frequently, the shedding becomes more obvious. After your sunless tan has faded completely, let your skin breathe for at least a week before tanning again.

4 Facts On The Dangers Of Tanning Beds

1. It's Big Business
Nearly 30 million people in the U.S. tan in tanning salons every year; on average, that's more than 1 million people a day who are baking themselves under tanning lamps. More than 70% of them are Caucasian females aged 16 to 49 years. The indoor tanning industry's revenues have increased fivefold since 1992, to about $5 billion.

2. Our Youth Are At Risk
2.3 million teens visit tanning salons in the U.S. every year. According to a Swedish study, the younger you are when you start indoor tanning, the greater your risk of melanoma. A review of seven studies revealed that your risk of melanoma increases by 75 percent if you're exposed to tanning beds before the age of 35. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for teens to be banned from indoor tanning due to the dangers, only half of the states in the U.S. regulate tanning bed use by teens.

3. It's a Proven Danger
Many studies show that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is a definite risk factor for melanoma. Using a tanning bed more than 10 times a year made people seven times more likely to develop malignant melanoma than those who did not use tanning beds as often. The risk of melanoma was increased by 300% for those using tanning beds occasionally and by 800% for those using tanning beds more than 10 times a year. The FDA estimates that about 38,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma this year in the U.S. and 7,300 people will die from this condition. The United States Department of Health & Human Services names UV radiation from the sun, and from artificial sources such as tanning beds and sun lamps, as a proven carcinogen - a cancer causing substance.

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advise people to avoid tanning and the use of sun lamps. Both the American Medical Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) are fighting to ban the non-medical use of tanning equipment. The CDC report that tanning beds also cause serious eye problems including conjunctivitis, corneal infections and retinal damage.

4. There's no such thing as a "safe tan"
Sunlight contains different wavelengths of UV light. UVA rays penetrate deeper into your skin and cause tanning. UVB rays damage the more superficial skin layers and cause sunburn. Many tanning salons claim that indoor tanning is safe because you are exposed to more tanning UVA rays than burning UVB rays. Medical research disproves this claim. Skin cancer is certainly associated with sunburn from UVB rays, but scientists at the FDA and other respected institutions now have evidence that even moderate tanning due to UVA rays produces the same long-term skin damage as a sunburn, increasing your risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging, and damaging your immune system. UVA rays penetrate deep into your skin, causing significant destruction and loss of skin elasticity. UVA exposure is associated with an increased risk for squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.