How long will my sun tan last?

This is a question that has been asked by sunbed tanning enthusiasts over and over again, and there has been no definitive answer to this over the years for one simple reason; everyone is different and will lose their tan, whether natural or gotten from a sunbed, in different ways. Read on for more information and some top tips on the best ways to maintain your tan for as long as possible!

The process of losing a tan

Some people may lose their tan in a week, some in two weeks while others yet will keep such a tan for a much longer period. You start to lose your tan when the uppermost of your skin cells are shed through the natural skin renewal process. The human skin undergoes a full renewal cycle in about 28 days.  In this cycle, some of the cells of the epidermis (the outer layer of your skin) slough off about once a week, as the cells move up from the bottom of the epidermis to the top. These are then replaced by young new cells. As you lose your pigment-carrying cells during the skin renewal process, you start to gradually lose your tan. Therefore, the only way to maintain a tan is through repeated exposure to UV light,

How soon will I start to lose my tan?

The process of losing a tan gets underway almost immediately after your last sunbed tanning session, but don’t worry, the effects will not be noticed for another week or two. In most cases, tanners start to notice the loss of shade between one and two weeks. Others may not notice this until the third week. Nearly everyone however will lose their tans within four weeks of tanning.

How do I make my sunbed tan last longer?

There are several tricks to making your tan last longer that it will naturally do otherwise. One top tip to prolonging a tan is to scrub off older skin cells before tanning on the sunbed so that the pigment-carrying cells are not sloughed off quickly and remain in place for as long as possible. Some people are able to maintain a tan for a little longer than 28 days utilizing this simple trick.

Another trick to prolonging your tan is to use a good quality tan accelerator during the tanning session. You should also make sure to use an extending moisturizing product in between tanning sessions to maintain a glowing, healthy, natural-looking tan. These extender moisturizers continue to promote best results in between sessions, as they contain the same tan-maximizing ingredients in them as the tan accelerators do.

It has been scientifically proven that the skin will continue to tan and produce melanin for twelve more hours after getting up from the tanning bed. To get the best tan you can, it is paramount to keep the skin properly moisturized during and after this process.

To make your tan last longer, you may also want to ensure that you get as much exposure to UV light as possible. You can achieve this by continuously exposing your skin to sunlight, thus generating pigment in the new skin cells.

The only method to keep a tan over a longer period is through sensible and safe exposure to UV light, such as sunbeds or a trip to Ibiza! At Bodilight Tanning Spa we offer a range of sunbed tanning packages and prices to help you maintain the look you want. View them here.

Have any more questions? Feel free to call our expert team who will be more than happy to help and offer advice. Contact Us today.