Tanning Options: How to Get a Sun-Kissed Look

Everyone knows that tanning is not healthy. Tanning causes sun damage, which can lead to cancer, wrinkles, and leathery skin. Yet despite this knowledge, some people still love the look of sun-kissed skin. Therefore, summer after summer, sun worshipers continue to hit the beaches, pools, and other places where bare skin is acceptable; even some parks are filled with bathing suit clad people trying to catch some rays. If you are one of the many people who still insist on browning your skin, you should at least consider the various options that the beauty industry now has to offer.

The sun produces ultraviolet (UV) radiation that enters the Earth's atmosphere; UV radiation causes people to tan or burn and can cause serious skin damage including cancer. People with pale skin, especially red heads, are especially susceptible to burns and skin damage.

People like sunbathing as a way to get a tan because it is easy, free, and relaxing. Unfortunately, it is also the most dangerous way to get a tan. It is very difficult to tell exactly how many UV rays you are getting, and it is easy to fall asleep or simply spend too much time outside. If you do want to sunbathe, make sure that you apply sun screen regularly. Even with sunscreen, you will still be able to tan and you can incur some skin damage, but you will be less likely to burn. Also limit the length of your tanning sessions; longer sessions will cause more damage, but they will not produce a better tan. Tans are best achieved through multiple, short periods of sun exposure.

Tanning salons are very popular. Some people visit tanning salons before going on a vacation; the idea is that they will build up a base tan and will therefore be less likely to burn later. This is true to an extent; however, even tanning causes skin damage. Tanning salons use UV radiation, so damage occurs from indoor tanning just as it does from outdoor tanning. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program's Report on Carcinogens, exposure to sunlamps and sun beds is a known carcinogen.

The only safe way to get a tan is to fake it. Self-tanning lotions have been on the market for years. Although some of these lotions have been criticized for produces ghastly orange tones that look nothing like bronzed tans, news formulas are often much better. If you use a self-tanning lotion, test the lotion on a small part of your skin first; this way you will know if the color it produces will be flattering. Then, make sure that you apply the lotion very evenly.

Spray-on tanning booths are the latest way to achieve a healthy tan, and they are increasingly popular. In these booths, people are sprayed or misted with a coloring agent. The result is evenly bronzed skin, although the results are temporary.

You can also achieve a tanned look just by using bronzing makeup. Powders or creams that are designed to give your face a tanned look can also be used on the shoulders and chest. This method is easy to apply and looks natural if well applied. And this way, you can chose to be tanned one day and pale the next.