Kayla Young
Think about tanning beds for a moment. What do you see? When we talk about tanning beds, most of us would picture a flatbed where you can lay down to get your glow on.
However, there are other types of tanning beds that give you a tan without having to lie down on them. These are the stand-up tanning beds. You aren’t touching the bed, so there’s less cleaning, less funky folded skin, and less chance of a rash.
Although they aren’t new, many people might still have not used them because the lay-down tanning beds are more common, and are wondering how to use a stand up tanning bed.
For today, we’ll give you some stand up tanning bed tips for beginners. These will help you get the best tan you can get out of such devices.
Contents
Prepping Before Tanning
Prepping the skin is important and is crucial to achieving a good-looking tan no matter what method you use. Just like preparing your skin for tanning in a traditionally tanning bed, you should also exfoliate and moisturize your skin.
Avoid using any product with SPF in it and don’t wear makeup or a deodorant. Additionally, take a closer look at the medicine you take and make sure they don’t have any unwanted reaction when your skin gets exposed to the strong UV rays.
How To Use a Stand Up Tanning Bed
Stand up sun beds and the traditional lay-down ones work in the same way. Both blast your skin with powerful UV rays produced by the device.
The only difference is the position of the body while tanning.
Here are some tips to help you properly use the stand-up tanning bed and achieve a tan you can be proud of:
1. Set The Timer
The amount of time you spend inside the stand-up tanning bed will depend on your skin type. Don’t choose the longest time because you want to go the darkest your skin can get.
Remember that you have to build a base tan first so you want to build up your time. This is especially true if it is your first time. If you stay in for too long, you just risk getting a sunburn that won’t turn into a tan.
You can increase the time spent inside the stand-up tanning bed gradually as your skin adapts and already has a base tan.
Multiple visits over a series of weeks are the key to a beautiful tan!
2. Use Eye Protection
Just like lay-down tanning beds, the UV light produced here is much higher. That allows you to stay inside the booth for a few minutes then effectively develop a tan.
That also means that the stronger UV light produced is more harmful to the eyes. Don’t risk just closing your eyes while tanning. Use tanning goggles . They are affordable and are effective at blocking out the UV rays that could harm your eyes. Yes, you may get raccoon eyes, but it’s better to deal with that than cataracts!
Alternatively, you can also use No products found.. These are cone-shaped stickers that are specifically designed to block out UV radiation. You can see through them and they provide a space for your eyelids so you can comfortably blink.
3. Know Where To Stand
When you are using a stand-up tanning bed, make sure you find the middle and stand in it. That will give you a more even tan around your body. Usually, stand up tanning beds are marked with an “X”, foot print or some sort of shape that indicates the middle.
Apart from knowing where to stand, you should also stand with your legs slightly parted. This will help expose the skin in between your legs for a more even tan.
4. Dress Down
If you are comfortable getting naked inside the stand up tanning bed and if the facility you go to permits tanning in the nude, then you should go for it.
That will help prevent you from having tan lines due to your swimsuit. However, if it isn’t allowed to go completely naked, make sure you wear the skimpiest swimsuit to tan most of your body properly.
Additionally, remove all jewelry and unnecessary accessories while tanning. The goal is to expose as much skin as you could so you can have an even tan.
5. Tie Your Hair Up
Your hair can cause streaks on your back because it can cover parts of your back when your hair is down. Make sure to tie it up into a bun so it doesn’t get in the way of your tanning session.
6. Proper Arm Position
Proper arm position is also essential in achieving an even tan on your upper extremities. Usually, there are handlebars located at the top of the stand-up tanning bed where you can hold on.
This position will expose your arms so that it also gets tanned, just like the rest of your body. You can adjust your position so you’d feel more comfortable.
This is one of the areas where tanning booths work better than beds. It’s easier to move your arms around in a stand up tanning bed to get your sides tan.
7. Use Tanning Lotion
Using an indoor tanning lotion or accelerator is optional. However, it can help you tan better and deeper.
They also contain moisturizing ingredients that help prevent your skin from drying out. The skin can get drier after exposure to intense UV light. They can help make the skin healthier.
Tanning Aftercare
Don’t forget that what you do after using the stand up tanning bed also matters. The most important thing to do is moisturize the skin and hydrate your body.
Drinking water doesn’t only help you to retain your tan but it also helps make sure your body is healthy, especially after being exposed to stronger UV rays.
Exfoliating also helps make your skin look it’s best after tanning. This should be done a week after you go for tanning. This helps your tan to evenly fade.
Conclusion
Most of what we know as tanning beds are those where we lay down to get a tan. However, there are also stand-up tanning beds where you can tan while in an upright position. These work similarly with the traditional tanning beds because they also use UV light to tan the skin.
For a better and a more even tan, it would be best to set the timer properly to avoid sunburns, use eye protection, stand at the center of the device, keep clothes to a minimum, tie your hair up, position your arms, and use a tanning lotion.
Additionally, preparation and tanning aftercare impact the results you get. Make sure you exfoliate, moisturize and hydrate before and after your tanning session.
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