|
Tanning Bed Options and Your Skin Type Why didn’t it work for me? The “golden” girls, set up in
the back yard, unsnapped their bikini straps, asked a friend to slather baby
oil on their backs, and “baked” for hours in the sun. When they were “done,”
they were delectable. It seemed the perfect recipe for a nice, golden brown
“dish.” Not so for me. No bronze Brown Betty here. I was lobster
lady. I fried and boy was I steamed! Slowly, sticky summer clothing was peeled
painstakingly away from my blistering red flesh. Ouch! Then came the “Mother of all Burns.” I took my freckled, fair Irish skin on a group daylong “ridge hike” across snow covered mountain peaks. I didn’t take sun precautions -- after all it was snow, not sand that we would be trudging through. I learned later that snow can be worse on the skin because the sun reflects off the surrounding white environment. The next morning my face was swollen, my eyes, now mere slits, were pasted shut and puss seeped from the corners. My hands looked like boxing gloves. Eventually, the skin hardened like leather and peeled off in thick chunks exposing pink skin so tender it hurt to be touched by air. Obviously, my girlfriends had different skin types. My Jewish friend, bares her olive skin to the afternoon rays and clearly, as her skin glows in tawny response, theirs is a Mediterranean love match. Then there’s my athletic friend, she skis, sails and lives in the sun. I envied her when we were young, but now she looks leathery and old. Skin is the largest organ in the human body, weighing an average of nine pounds. Naturally, since this is the organ we wear on the outside, we want it to look its best. After all, “beauty’s only skin deep.” Well, maybe not, but skin is the only organ we take great pains to beautify. We bathe, shave, deodorize, lotion, powder, tan, de-pimple, exfoliate, cover, rouge and perfume it. With all our prodding and primping of this delicate organ, we each need to be sure we understand our individual skin type and care for it intelligently.
Tan is in! The beach babe, the California girl, the
tropical exotic, are still more popular icons than the ivory toned “Southern
Belle” toting her sun blocking umbrella.
Even with today’s expert warnings of UV damage and melanomas. Even with SPF
15-30 sun block creams available, we want to bronze our skin. I’ve learned, like the
proverbial leopard, I can’t change my skin, so what I must do is respect it. I
must learn what I can about it, what tanning
bed methods are available, and what is best
for me.
1.
Type 1 a. Unexposed skin is white b.
Eyes are blue or Green c.
Hair is red or blond d.
Freckles e. Descent is English, Irish, Scottish, Northern European f.
Always burns easily and severely g.
Peels h.
Does not Tan 2.
Type 2 a.
Unexposed skin is white b.
Eyes are blue, hazel or brown c.
Hair is red, blond or brown d.
Descent is same as type 1 or Scandinavian e.
Burns easily and severely f.
Tans minimally or lightly 3.
Type 3 a.
Unexposed skin is fair b.
Brown eyes c.
Dark hair d. Descent is central or southern European (Spanish, Greek or
Italian) e.
Burns moderately f.
Tans average 4.
Type 4 a.
Unexposed skin light brown b.
Dark eyes c.
Dark hair d. Descent is Mediterranean, Oriental or Hispanic e.
Burns Minimally f.
Tans easily and above average g. Exhibits IPD (immediate pigment darkening) 5.
Type 5 a.
Unexposed skin is brown b.
Dark eyes c.
Dark hair d. Descent is East Indian, American Indian, Asia, Hispanic,
Latin American or African American e.
Rarely Burns f.
Tans easily and substantially g. Always exhibits IPD (immediate pigment darkening) 6.
Type 6 a.
Unexposed skin is black b.
Dark eyes c.
Dark hair d.
Descent is African American, Aborigine e.
Rarely burns f.
Tan easily and profusely g. Always exhibits IPD (immediate pigment darkening) How a Tan is made All tanning equipment, be it tanning booths, tanning beds or home tanning beds work on the same principles. In a tanning salon, certified, well-trained individuals customize your treatment for your personal skin type. A tan is created through a carefully orchestrated interaction between skin and UV rays. To understand this, we need to know what the tanning bed does, and what the skin does in response. First let’s look at the skin:
Tans are created in the skins outer layer - the epidermis. Here, special cells, called “melanocytes” produce “melanin” laden “melanosomes.” “Melanin” is a protein pigment that darkens as it is exposed to the oxygen in the blood. This darkened skin acts as a natural sunscreen against the harmful effects of UV rays. We all have about the same number of melanocyte cells (about 5 million), but we don’t all produce the same amount of melanosomes with those cells. For example, we pale Irish, with Type 1 skin, produce very few. When skin is exposed to UV rays, melanocyte cells are
awakened and stimulated to produce more melanosomes. Skin that has increased
its melanosomes is skin that has “tanned.” The Part Tanning Beds
Play Tanning beds do not emulate the sun. Yes, the sun emits the types of UV rays that produce tans, i.e. UVA and UVB rays, but tanning beds can control exactly how much of each is administered. The tanning process requires both types of rays, UVB to
stimulate the melanocyte cells to produce more melanosomes, and UVA to effect
the oxidizing of the melanin, thus browning it. Although both rays are needed,
UVB can be more damaging and must be carefully controlled. In a tanning bed, as apposed to the sun, you know exactly
how many units of each ray are being dispensed. Immediate Pigment Darkening: IPD, or Immediate Pigment Darkening - takes place in dark skinned people who have a significant amount of preexisting melanin. Delayed Pigment Darkening: · Let your tanning expert create an exposure schedule
specifically designed for your skin type. · Check with your doctor about medications that might be contraindicated
with tanning beds · Use the eye protection supplied · Don’t tan too often · Use the suggested tanning bed
lotions About
Tanning Bed Lotions Swedish tanning bed lotions and Australian Gold tanning lotions are among the many tanning bed lotions specifically designed for indoor tanning. There are three main types: a. Special tanning bed lotions – prepare the skin to tan more efficiently and to last longer b. Moisturizers – applied to the skin after tanning to prevent dryness c. Self tanning lotions – can help even out tans Please be good to your skin, it’s not just another fashion accessory. Healthy is in this season!
|
