How to Get Rid of Tan Lines Fast!

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Achieving that bronze goddess skin is possible in a variety of ways. You can get a dark tan by the light of the sun, a tanning bed, a spray tan, or through self-tanners. However, no tanning process can guarantee that you’d have an even tan at all times. And clothing is going to get in the way.

It’s super common to get those tan lines!

In this article, we’re going to go over How to Get Rid of Tan Lines.

Some love tan lines, but many hate the look and prefer the nude tanning vibe. If you are not a fan of tan lines, do you know what to do about it?

Learn to fade those annoying tan lines fast.


Contents

How Long Do Tan Lines Take To Fade?

Tanned skin fades away in about a week, assuming you’re not going back to the beach or sunbed to refresh your tan and build it. If the skin isn’t exposed to additional UV light for about a week, the tan will fade and your tan lines will become much less obvious.

But if you can’t wait a week for the tan to fade, here are several ways to make your tan lines go away quickly.


How To Get Rid Of Tan Lines Fast

Girl Posing on Beach

If you really find your tan lines awful and unbearable, there are several ways to lessen their appearance so you can wear that strapless dress.

Here are a few products you can use and apply to your skin to even out your complexion and fade out the tan lines. 

1. Apply a Bronzer To Blend The Lines

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If you are desperate to remove your tan lines instantly, even if it is just temporary, you can apply bronzers such as this one from Vita Liberata.

Bronzers are essentially a “makeup tan”. They instantly change the color of your skin, and with a little blending, you can quickly remove tan lines with bronzer. However, bronzers wash off just as makeup does, so you’ll need to reapply it every day.

Bronzers are a fast yet temporary solution, perfect when you just need to get rid of those tan lines for that date night. 

If you don’t have a bronzer on hand, you may be able to find some foundation that will match your tanned areas reasonably well. You can probably use foundation as a substitute.

2. Use a Sunless Tanner To Hide The Tan Lines

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If you don’t want to expose your skin further to the sun or the UV rays, you can apply a high-quality self-tanner to the areas where you have tan lines. Simply focus on those areas and apply a small amount first.

Remember that it takes several hours for your skin to develop a tan with fake tanners. You need to make sure not to overdo it, and find a self-tanner that’s going to produce a tan color that’s close to your tanned skin tone.

A quick tan like Body Drench would be an excellent choice for this.

3. Use Aloe Vera To Fade Your Tan

Aloe vera is an amazing tool for soothing the skin after a nasty sunburn, and it’s always smart to keep a plant or some gel around. But it can also gently fade tanned skin, as well! The cool cactus will help speed up the fading of a natural tan, and will lead to a balancing of your tanned skin and the tan-free lines.

4. Use A Skin Scrub

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One of the best ways to fade those tan lines away is to use an exfoliating body scrub like Lorandy Himalayan Salt Scrub. This helps speed up the removal of the outer layer of dead skin cells in the skin.

These outer skin cells contain more melanin, which is why they look darker. By using an exfoliating scrub, the older cells are removed, and newer, non-tanned skin cells are exposed. 

The fading process can be faster with the use of an exfoliating scrub, but don’t overdo it!

Don’t scrub too hard because you might create micro-cuts in the skin. You can’t scrub off the tan lines in one application, but a scrub will help lighten the tan and even the skin tone. 

5. Honey And Lemon Juice

No, we are not making lemonade here.

This mixture is a great home remedy to help those tan lines be less visible. Place this mixture over the areas that are tanned then let it sit there for about 30 minutes. Wash it off with water and towel dry.

This mixture effectively helps in fading the tan lines in just a couple of days. As a bonus, your skin also gets moisturized due to the honey content in the mixture. 

NOTE: If you have sunburned skin, avoid this method. The acidity of the lemon can be irritating to the already irritated, sunburned skin a,d it will make the peeling worse. It is best to let the sunburned skin recover first before applying anything to it. 

6. Apply Sunscreen When Going Out

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A good quality sunscreen will not fade the tan lines. But SPF will help prevent your tanned skin from getting any darker and making the uneven skin tones worse.

In this way, you can prevent any more discoloration of your skin, and eventually help even it out.

Sunscreens like this one from COOLA Organic should be applied every day, and not only when you’re at the beach.

Remember that every time you go out you also expose yourself to the UV rays of the sun. That is still true even if it is an overcast or cloudy day.

7. Choose Tan-Through Swimwear

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Tan-through swimwear?! Yes! These suits allow 80% of the sun’s light through, while still remaining visually solid. They come in beautiful fabrics and in many different cuts.

We love them, they offer the beauty of a stylish swimsuit and an even, tan-line-free tan.

Kinkini is one of the most popular brands.


What Causes Tan Lines?

Tan lines can develop when you spend lots of time under the sun or UV light while wearing clothing. The part that is exposed to the sun gets tanned while those that are covered don’t darken.

This is also true for those who are using tanning beds instead of spray tanning or lying under the sun. If you’re wearing a bra to a spray tan, you’ll get tan lines.

Due to the excess melanin production in the exposed areas, they become darker and the covered parts look lighter. This should not be a problem if you keep those areas hidden at all times.

However, that isn’t always the case.

For example, you have tan lines over your shoulder. Sure you can hide them underneath a shirt. But if you decide to wear an off-shoulder, tube top, or any tank top, those tan lines will be visible.

Some love tan lines, similar to sun tattoos. Many feel tan lines don’t really look good, so it is best to get rid of them. 


Can Tan Lines Be Removed?

Tan lines can go away on their own but it’ll take time. It will go away once your tan also goes away. When your skin’s tan has faded, your tan lines will look much less visible.

Eventually, your tanned skin will return back to normal as long as you don’t expose it too much to UV light or other tanning products. 

Remember that your tanned skin doesn’t last forever, unfortunately! It will fade after a week or so. That is also why people get their tan regularly to maintain their color and their base tan.

The simplest way to get rid of your tan line is just to wait it out. The effects of UV and other tanning products on the skin are only temporary. You’ll eventually get back to your natural complexion over time. 


Final Thoughts

Achieving flawless bronze goddess skin can be a total failure if you have glaring tan lines. However, there are ways you can get rid of tan lines if you already have them.

The products above can apply to the skin to instantly cover up tan lines or to help fade them away quickly.

Written by Kayla Young

Kayla is the founder of LuxeLuminous. She has worked professionally in the tanning industry for years. She has been interested in esthetics since childhood, and has tried every hair, skin, and makeup product ever produced (more or less).