Tanning Tips For Fair Skinned People

Who said red-haired/blonde, pale-skinned people can get no tan at all?

I used to be allergic to the sun until I decided that it was unbearable to wear long sleeves in summer and hide from sun rays any longer. It took a couple of years for my skin to get used to direct sun rays, but now I can enjoy going to the beach and I don’t look like a goth :)

So if your skin is very pale and allergic to the sun, here are some actions you can take:

1) Use a sunbed. Use it very carefully. Very carefully. Start with very short tanning sessions, like 4-5 minutes, with no noticeable results (don’t expect your skin to go darker that soon). I started with a horizontal sunbed, as vertical ones always made the skin on my shoulders go red. Use sunscreens and a suitable body/face lotion afterwards. Go on with regular, but not too frequent tanning sessions and gradually increase them to 9-12 minutes. It can take three months or half a year, depends on how sensitive your skin is.

2) Go to a Southern country on vacation. Trying to get rid of sun allergy in countries like the Baltics, Finland, or Denmark does not work. It may seem that the sun is milder in these countries and therefore your skin will get used to the sun sooner. But no. I know quite a lot of people (including myself) who only got rid of sun allergy after a couple of holidays spent on Turkey’s resorts. Of course you shouldn’t go there in August, when the sun shines like crazy. End of September is fine. And do not try to compete with the dark-tanned people who can spend the whole day on the beach. Your time is 8-10 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. That’s when it is safe for you to stay on the beach.

3) Go on with occasional tanning sessions in a sunbed in winter. One time a month is enough for your skin to remember the touch of UV.

4) Finally, there are some cosmetic tricks you can use, like all those body/face lotions with tanning effect. Choose the ones made specially for fair skin, otherwise the tone will look unnatural and your skin will most probably look too yellow. In summertime, combine this kind of body lotions with natural tan, and you''ll look great!