{"id":8626,"date":"2019-07-24T05:29:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-24T05:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=8626"},"modified":"2021-04-21T15:21:39","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:21:39","slug":"14-secrets-for-safe-healthy-tanning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-secrets-for-safe-healthy-tanning\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Secrets for Safe & Healthy Tanning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Are you packing your bags for a vacation? Before you take a few days off for some fun in the sun, it\u2019s vital that you understand the effects of UV rays on the skin. Every day, more than 9,500 Americans receive a skin cancer diagnosis. In most cases, skin cancer is treatable, but those individuals diagnosed with melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, are at risk of severe complications with the disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melanoma relies on early treatment to cure the patient, and if left unmanaged and undiagnosed, the skin cancer may prove fatal as the carcinogens reach the bloodstream and metastasize to other areas of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people love sun tanning while on vacation, but the risk of developing skin cancer is high if you don\u2019t take the necessary precautions to avoid sunburn. Here are eight secrets for healthy and safe sun tanning while you enjoy your vacation.
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1.    Avoid Sunbeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people choose to suntan all year round, instead of only on vacation. Tanning beds and tan cans make it possible to sustain your tan, even in the wintertime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, recent research suggests that using artificial light to tan your skin is a bad idea. Sunbeds focus on producing light in the UVA spectrum, with very little UVB. UVB is the healthy UV ray that stimulates vitamin D<\/a> production in the skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the intense UVB rays, your skin is at higher risk of injury, and if you spend too much time in the tan can or a tanning bed, it could increase your skin cancer risk by up to 75-percent. People who tan under artificial light also rarely use any form of sunscreen, and they may use oil products to enhance the tanning effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tanning strategy, while effective, may end up damaging your skin, leading to the signs of premature aging.
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2.    Check Your Sunscreen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re heading to the beach for your tanning session, make sure you take along an appropriate sunscreen <\/a>that suits your skin type. People with fair skin don\u2019t tan easily, and they may only turn red instead of developing a beautiful olive-brown color.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is possible for people with fair skin to tan, provided that they limit their daily exposure, and use a sunscreen with a high SPF. Those people with a darker skin tone may find that they tan easily, even with limited exposure. The darker your skin, the lower the SPF required for safe tanning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend that you stick to an SPF of 40 or more if you have fair skin, and an SPF of 15 to 30 if you have darker skin that tans readily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always check your sunscreen brand for the \u201cbroad spectrum\u201d statement on the label, and ensure that the UVA logo appears on the sunscreen product.
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3.    Stay Hydrated<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before you leave for the beach, make sure that you drink plenty of water, and remember to take a bottle with you. Dehydration <\/a>is the leading cause of sunburn after exposure. The body is over 60-percent water, and losing vital fluids results in skin that burns faster while increasing free radical production in the epidermis.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free radicals occur in the top layers of skin after overexposure to the sun\u2019s harmful UV rays. If left untreated, the free radicals may cause oxidative stress on skin cells, causing them to die off. Damaged skin cells lead to the onset of premature aging, and the development of fine lines and wrinkles, especially in the face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring that you drink at least 8-glasses of water throughout the day will maintain hydration levels and help your skin tan faster, with better resistance to harmful UVA rays. When we tan, we sweat \u2013 and the sweating releases vital minerals to the surface of the skin. Therefore, we recommend that you drink mineral water.
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4.    Try an On and Off Approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone reaches a point in their tanning session where the skin stops producing melanin<\/a>, the pigment responsible for changing the color of your skin. After you reach this threshold, your skin starts to burn. Most people will notice this effect by their skin becoming sensitive to touch, and the development of a reddish hue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those individuals with darker skin tone, the cut off time for sun tanning should be between two to three hours at most. Those people with fair skin should not spend more than an hour in the sun before ending their tanning sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend that you give your skin frequent breaks between tanning sessions. Try tanning for 35 to 45-minutes, and then give your skin a break for 30-minutes before your second tanning session. Using this tanning strategy, you can spend far longer in the sun than in a single session, and you reduce your risk of developing a sunburn.
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5.    Use Supplements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When most of us think about tanning, we imagine ourselves slathering our bodies with suntan lotion. Unfortunately, studies show that certain brands of sunscreen may damage the environment, killing off coral reefs. While it\u2019s possible to mitigate this effect by choosing a reef-safe brand of suntan lotion \u2013 what if there was another way to protect your skin, other than using sunscreen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that including a beta-carotene<\/a> supplement in your diet regimen can enhance the production of melanin in the skin. This supplement is far more effective at improving your tan than any tan-accelerating cream. Studies suggest that consuming 250-milligrams of beta-carotene every day helps to increase melanin levels and provide you with a lustrous golden tan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to note that you\u2019ll still need to apply sunscreen, even if you do use beta-carotene. The supplement does not protect your skin against sunburn, but it does accelerate the tanning process.
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6.    Check Your Diet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before you book your tickets to your vacation destination, we recommend that you review your diet<\/a>. It may surprise you to learn that what you eat can play a significant role in how your skin tans.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certain foods increase the body\u2019s production of lycopene, the skin’s natural SPF. This antioxidant is present in foods like tomatoes and grapefruit, as well as many other fruits and vegetables that have red flesh. Eating foods that are high in lycopene can enhance your skin’s protective properties by as much as 30-percent, allowing you to get better results from your tanning session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the richest sources of lycopene is in tomato paste, and we bet that you never thought that extra serving of marinara sauce with your spaghetti would help you improve your tan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other foods to include in your diet include coffee and dark chocolate. The caffeine in the coffee and the flavonoids in the dark chocolate provide your skin with a boost of polyphenol antioxidants that reduces skin cancer risk.  
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7.    Moisturize <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

 Before you take a walk to the beach and apply your sunscreen, we recommend that you moisturize. Moisturizing helps to enhance your skin’s natural sun defense, and it also helps to reduce the presence of free radicals after a tanning session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose a moisturizer <\/a>that contains aloe vera. Aloe contains polyphenols that help to minimize the effects of overexposure while providing relief from the itching symptoms. Moisturizing also helps to improve the consistency of your tan, helping to avoid patchy suntans by promoting even tanning. Spread extra moisturizer on the areas of your body that don\u2019t tan as well as others, and you\u2019ll notice an improvement in your results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finishing your tanning session, we recommend that you moisturize again to help your skin recover from the effects of exposure to UVB and UVB rays. While drinking water is an essential step to obtaining a perfect tan, using a moisturizer is another means of keeping your skin hydrated, improving your tanning results.
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8.    Take Care of Sunburns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even those experienced tanners may end up developing a sunburn at some stage. In most cases, the sunburn <\/a>presents mild symptoms of nausea and light-headedness that fade after drinking water and resting in the shade.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, overexposure to the sun’s UV rays resulting in sunburn may end up causing your skin to age prematurely. If your face gets a sunburn, you could end up with fine lines and wrinkles that make you look like you age 10-years overnight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you fell asleep while tanning and woke up with a sunburn, then we recommend that you immediately moisturize the affected area to prevent further damage to your skin. After a sunburn, the skin may feel sensitive and radiate heat. Avoid taking hot baths or showers, as the warm water may exacerbate pain symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid further exposure to the sun after receiving a sunburn, as it will increase your symptoms, as well as your skin cancer risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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