Kayla Young
Just when you’re ready to get out there and expose a little skin, the annoying happens. You tumble from your bicycle or lose your balance while rollerblading. You bang a hip on the car door or get whacked with someone’s shopping cart.
Heck, some of us are so fair-skinned, even a light breeze will leave its mark!
The result? Bruises. In all their red, green, blue, purple kaleidoscope glory. So much for that wedding photoshoot, first date, or beach picnic coming up. You want to avoid awkward stares and having to give the gory details about your accident-prone tendencies.
Does fake tan cover bruises?
It can cover bruises somewhat, but fake tan will not completely cover bruises.
What other ways can we mask unsightly bruises and other blemishes? What can you do after the damage is done? We’ll start by looking at bronzing products for an answer.
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Does Fake Tan Cover Bruises?
If your nasty blemish doesn’t fade in time for your long-awaited night out on the town, what can you do?
Does fake tan cover up bruises? You may think fake tan lotions, creams, foams, and sprays would make an excellent bruise hider. After all, the dihydroxyacetone (DHA) within the products interact with skin cell proteins to increase the pigment in your skin.
You’ll have a gorgeous summer complexion and eliminate the appearance of bruising all in one go.
By the time your tan fades, your bruising should be almost gone… Right?
Sorta.
Unfortunately, fake tans cannot fully cover up bruises. However, a good tanning water, tanning foam, etc. will make the bruise less noticeable.
But they won’t disappear. You need to find a better solution.
How can I cover up bruises?
The world of cosmetics has opened up a lot over the years. You no longer need education in film and movie makeup to make a bruise disappear. And yes, they’ve got makeup for your body.
Even for specific parts of your body, like your legs. The only downside is that you’ll have to reapply after your shower.
Alleven Skincare has an amazing spray-on product called Colour Shield, as well as the Instant Protector Pen. They come in various skin shades, completely hide discoloration, and are waterproof.
It’s pricey stuff, so if you have a good foundation and concealer that works for you, you can try that on your bruised skin instead.
What Can a Fake Tan Hide?
Does fake tan cover dark spots?
As you probably know, our lust for the sun comes at a cost. Dark spots can appear on the skin, especially as we age. This typically takes place on our faces and hands. Darker and more severe patches on the skin are called melasma; these can be triggered by a variety of things. They are more noticeable and cover a greater area of the skin.
Can fake tan take them away? Well, there’s a bit of a debate about this. Some claim that tanning hides dark spots on the skin. Others insist that the DHA within tanning products will increase the spots’ pigmentation and cause them to become even darker, making the problem even more pronounced.
However, the result of tanning on dark patches depends on a few things, including the darkness of the spots themselves and the quality of the product you use.
If done well, the tan will increase the pigmentation of your skin as a whole, making the spots less noticeable and more likely to blend in with your newly tanned complexion.
Fake tans won’t completely eliminate dark spots, but they can decrease their appearance.
Does fake tan make scars worse?
If you have scars on your body, you may be concerned that tanning will cause them to be darker and more visible against the rest of your skin. DHA in tanning products will alter the pigment of all skin cells, including scar tissue. However, the resulting tone of a scar will likely differ from the surrounding skin.
The degree of absorption of the tanning product will depend on the age, depth, and quality of the scar tissue itself.
If the scar is new, it might remain lighter than the rest of the skin after application. If you have an older scar, it might turn darker.
Doing a patch test on the area of skin with the scar will help direct you on how to proceed with future self-tan applications.
It’s also worthy to note that if a skin wound has not fully healed, it isn’t a good idea to apply tanning cream, lotion, foam, or spray at all.
Wait until the area has completely regenerated before you fake tan.
What else does fake tan cover?
You’ll be pleased to hear that tanning products can help to conceal other skin issues such as scars, stretch marks, prominent veins, and cellulite. The only way to make these flaws completely invisible is by using body makeup.
However, if you are happy with lessening and blurring their appearance, fake tan will do the trick for a longer period of time.
If in doubt, consult a professional spray tanner.
Whether you have dark spots, scars, stretch marks, veins, or other skin discolorations you’d like to minimize, fake tan will be helpful. To make them completely vanish, body makeup is your best bet.
And for bruises, cosmetics are your only real option. Then you can strut your stuff with confidence.
How do bruises form?
Bruises happen when the body sustains an impact and red blood cells flow out of blood vessels that have broken under the skin. As a result, the area can become red and inflamed. As time passes and chemical changes occur within the blood cells, their color transforms from one shade to another.
The end result is often a brownish-blackish mess that definitely doesn’t go with your favorite new bikini.
How to treat a bruise
As soon as it’s possible, grab a cold compress, bag of frozen veggies, or ice wrapped in a thin towel. Place it directly on the injured spot for about ten minutes and repeat later on as needed. This will reduce some of the pain, swelling, and discoloration.
It’s also helpful to apply some pressure to the area and elevate it if possible. Be sure to rest to avoid aggravating the bruise further. If pain persists, take a pain reliever.
How long do bruises last?
Bruises typically last for about two weeks. If your bruise shows no sign of fading after three weeks, consider calling your physician. And of course, if severe pain and inability to move the injured body part are present at the time of the injury, you should speak with a doctor or visit the ER.
Check out this link for more information about bruises and how to treat them.Â
Does Tanning Make Bruises Worse?
No, UV light tends to work to heal bruises. Your time spent in the sun will likely soften the appearance of a bruise.
If you’re able to expose your bruise to natural sun or even a tanning bed for 10-15 minutes per day, you will find that your bruise fades more quickly.
