Tanning Options
A sun-kissed healthy tan looks attractive on most people, and many people want this look. How then, can this be accomplished with minimal sun exposure?
Everyone loves the sun, and its golden rays gift us with our daily dose of Vitamin D, which in turn improves our health and well-being. There is a price to pay however for spending too much time out in the sun. What tanning options are available to those who want enhanced tanning?
Tanning Options
Sun Baking
Clinical studies have already discovered that it is not safe to stay indoors altogether, because avoiding the sun, one may develop a vitamin deficiency. Some deficiencies, such as a vitamin D deficiency, may potentially lead to skin cancer development alongside other a higher risk of developing other cancers.
Pros:
Most natural looking tan may result from safe exposure to the sun, but it must be acquired in extremely minimal doses and also over an extended amount of time.
The vitamin D that is acquired through minimal to moderate amount of the sun (UV) exposure has been shown to have many health benefits.
Cons:
Overexposure to the damaging UV Rays supplied by sunlight has been linked to melanoma and makes a person subject to heightened risk of:
- Skin damage
- Premature ageing
- Sunspots
- Increased wrinkles
- Sunburn
- Skin cancer/melanoma
The sun and its availability to those desiring a tan may depend on seasonality and climate. In the colder months, it may be harder to achieve skin pigmentation out in the sun.
Sunless Tanning Options | Alternatives
Sun beds
Cases of melanoma (skin cancer) has been increasing in the warmer climates, and localities of Australia. Studies have already linked an increase in the instances of melanoma occurring in women in their 30’s who have regularly used sun beds in the past. Because of this, sun beds have been banned throughout Australia.
Indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanning beds have been reviewed, and scientists propose those who use them are more likely to develop skin cancer, than those who never tanned indoors. (Skincancer.org)
Pros:
All year round tanning
Cons:
- Risk of skin damage
- Sunburn
- Premature ageing
- Skin cancer/melanoma
- Excessive sunbed tanning has been linked to an increased risk of ocular melanoma, cataracts and of developing photo conjunctivitis. It is important to remember goggles when tanning in a tanning bed.
Fake Tan
The fake tan has gotten better at “faking it” nowadays. Unlike the past formulations which typically presented tans that appeared more orange in tone, today self tanners appear in shades that are much more natural. Spray formulations have been developed to make self tanning solutions much easier to apply. When applied correctly, they have the potential to darken skin pigment temporarily during the winter months. Care must be taken to the timing and removal of fake tanning solution, so to avoid, uneven streaks as the solution wears off.
Pros:
Lack of UV rays, sprays for even coverage compared to creams if applied correctly
Cons:
- Clothing and skin staining
- Expensive and time consuming to maintain
- Unsightly mistakes due to less than perfect application
Tanning Peptides
Skin Pigmentation (tanning) that requires minimal sun exposure to promote increased melanin in the skin. The tan appears to look natural and does not require an unhealthy exposure to the sunlight in order to develop a tan. The introduction of aMSH hormone into circulation is meant to promote an increased production of melanin by the skin cells. Minimal sun is said to activate the process of melanogenesis, which reportedly increases skin pigmentation ie) tanning of the skin.
A-msh is a pituitary hormone which causes darkening of the skin pigment in amphibians and humans. (melanogenesis)
Pros:
It is suggested that utilising this tanning option, an individual may potentially acquire an enhanced tan with minimal sun exposure. For those who have in the past developed a tan through either safe daily doses of sunlight ( a process that takes a considerable amount of time and vigilence as to the external factors contributing to UV exposure)., it is understood this process could reduce the time it takes to develop a tan.
Cons:
Some products are administered via injection
Side Effects That May Occur
Increased Pigmentation
Increased Size of Moles and Freckleson of Moles and Freckles
Nausea has been reported by those individuals using tanning peptides close to mealtime.
References
- Tangpricha, V., Turner, A., Spina, C., Decastro, S., Chen, T., & Holick, M. (2004). Tanning is associated with optimal vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration) and higher bone mineral density. The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 80(6), 1645-1649. doi:10.1093/ajcn/80.6.1645
- Rhodes LE, e. (2018). Recommended summer sunlight exposure levels can produce sufficient (> or =20 ng ml(-1)) but not the proposed optimal (> or =32 ng ml(-1)) 25(OH)D l… – PubMed – NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 17 November 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20072137
- Noon Best Time to Get Vitamin D From Sun for Minimal Cancer Risk –Doctors Lounge. (2018). Doctorslounge.com. Retrieved 17 November 2018, from https://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/pb/59464
- Slominski, A., & Postlethwaite, A. E. (2015). Skin under the sun: when melanin pigment meets vitamin D. Endocrinology, 156(1), 1-4.
- Abdel-Malek Z, e. (2018). The melanocortin-1 receptor and human pigmentation. – PubMed – NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 9 November 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10816645
- Videira IF, e. (2018). Mechanisms regulating melanogenesis. – PubMed – NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 9 November 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23539007
How To Increase Melanin Production
The protective buffer we all naturally have within our skin – What is Melanin?