At Ruth Treiber Dermatology, Dr. Ruth Treiber has a number of patients who, against her advisement, are huge fans of tanning and tanning salons. Despite her constant warnings these patients put their skin at risk multiple times a week either laying on the beach for hours at a time, or climbing into their favorite tanning bed. And as the summer is ending these patients will be sure to visit the tanning salon more than ever before.
If you too treat tanning as a necessity than Dr. Ruth Treiber recommends you opt for less harmful “Sunless Tanning” or spray tans, as recently rates of melanoma have been going up amongst people of all ages. And tanning booths can increase your chances of getting melanoma or other forms of skin cancer by 74%. Dr. Ruth Treiber reminds her patients that the safest tan is no tan. But as people need their tans, sunless tanners are the way to go.
The coloring agent in sunless tanners is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which binds to the proteins of the skin’s surface, giving the appearance of a tan. DHA does not penetrate the skin’s outer layer as UV rays do, therefore are a much safer alternative to actual tanning. Dr. Ruth Treiber always reminds her patients to ensure that they are in an adequately ventilated room, as the effects of inhalation are still unknown. And aerosols can be quite harmful, so the use of lotions and creams are the safest alternative. Dr. Ruth Treiber recommends the following tips for safe & proper sunless tan application.
• Exfoliate the skin with a dry cloth to smooth away dead skin cells.
• Apply a generous amount of moisturizer and allow it to soak into your skin 10-15 minutes prior to tanning application.
• Wear latex gloves to avoid stained hands.
• Apply sunless tanning lotion in sections, start with legs, move to the abdomen, and back, and the arms, etc. Allows you to not add too much in one area and constrict pores.
• Blend well at all joints, including wrists, elbows, knees, etc.
• Dry and set. Wait about 20 minutes for tanner to dry. Avoiding sweating for the next 3 hours.
• Reapply as needed. Most tanners will last about 5 days. It may take 2 to 3 applications to reach your desired color, however be careful not to overdo it.
• Use sunscreen. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen at least SPF 30 and reapply every 4 hours, as sunless tanners don’t protect from the sun.