help ladies

xojessicarabbit

hi, it's my first time posting on this board but I'm sure you ladies can help me with my questions! ...I'm getting married on May 5th this year so that is like 2 1/2 months away... 1st question: when should I start useing whiteing strips...my teeth are not yellow I just want that perfect confident bride smile(: 2nd question: when should I start tanning in the tanning bed...I'm porcelain white I just want to get a glow&absolutly do NOT want a spray tan!! My dress is open back&im not risking any streaks ha thnx ladies! xo.

housewifehobbiest

I start using the strips 6 weeks before big events, and they work fine.  Buy some Sensodyne toothpaste to use with it, they make my teeth VERY sensitive and a little painful if I don't use it with the strips.

I'm very very pale as well, but honestly I would recommend having someone airbrush you rather than tanning.  Tanning (besides being as carcinogenic as mustard gas) leaves your skin dry and damaged and that rarely looks glowing.  Having someone airbrush you by hand means no streaks, the perfect color, and they can even do some shading (I'll admit I had a little cleavage/clavicle shading last time I flew down to Miami).  It's a but pricier than doing it at home or even in a booth, but I always love the results and get compliments.

xojessicarabbit

Thankuuu!!! ...i no the tanning bed is horrible but I'm 75%itailian, I was only going to go in the tanning bed three times a week for like 8min &just make sure I moisturize really good... But idk what to do xo.

Tahlora

I used to work at a store that had tanning, if you do 5 minutes every 3 days (in a newer bed) and use a mosturising tanning lotion, ask the girls who work there, there are so many different kinds, avoid bronzing ones and the tingling ones, they are evil lol, the bronzing ones will probably turn you orange and the tingling ones, my sister used one once, aparently burn. I liked the ones that have aloe or cucumber extracts.  But that would be enough to give you a nice glow. Just remember to take off all your make up before getting in, most places carry baby wipes for that, and put your hair up in a bun, hold your arms away from your body and keep your legs sholded width apart . And always wear the little glasses, and make sure they are clean. I tan every once and awhile durring the winter just to warm up, so i don't much color but it's a nice break to stand some where warm for a few minutes and listen to music

meganb1977

The white strips take I think ten days if I remember right from when I used them before my bridals...so if that's the case I'd start them so you will finish a day or two before the wedding.

rayschicky

I talked to my dentist about this, and she said that you should start at least 6 weeks before your date. She recommended Crest White strips, and said the key was to not miss a day (if you are doing dailys) because it takes a while to "work in" so to speak. She also suggested using the whitening toothpast and/or mouth wash to help maintain the whiteness.

Hope that helps!

(also - my dentist also mentioned that you may experience sensitivity, so sensodyne toothpast and whitening mouth wash might be your best bet)

xojessicarabbit

Ahh you girls arethe best thankuu! xo.

xojessicarabbit

Soo.. When should start doing the 3days in the tang bed two months befor or asap!? xo.

Zimsgirl

I go every other day tanning for 12 minutes or 7 minutes in the stand up bed. Both are maximum. My skin is great from tanning. I have eczema so the heat has helped and I have an amazing lotion. I'm gonna keep on my every other day schedule until the wedding and will most likely continue it after as I have been doing for a while

dogsandfrogs

If you're dead set on tanning, I'd recommend you start going now.  You're going to be able to build up a more natural color without burning and keep your skin moisturized and looking healthy if you start out at lower times and go every other day than if you try to dive in full on in a shorter time frame.

Talk to the girls who work at the salon, they'll be able to give you a good idea of where to start in terms of which beds and how long you should go for.  Do not EVER increase your time in a particular bed if you burned at all the last time you were in it.  If you try to rush the process you'll do more harm than good, and you'll end up peeling.

As PP said, avoid lotions that say they have tingling effects, and I'd recommend staying away from ones that have a topical bronzer in them (it's just like makeup bronzer and will rub off on things, not to mention not actually leave any real color behind).  From personal experience (as an Italian who burns easy), I'd say be wary of accelerators.  Yes they make you tan "faster", but I noticed my likeliness to burn increased as well.  I use a bronzing lotion (that doesn't have colored pigment in it) and it works well for me.

SugarFoote

I work at a dermatologist office and I would seriously recommend you get a spray tan or airbrush tan. Like a PP said, Tanning beds are very carcinogenic. Skin cancer is not a pretty sight ladies. And removing them can leave ugly scars. Seriously, I wouldn't opt for the tanning bed.

blgrout

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-beauty_help-ladies?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:358Discussion:a1126717-3267-4ffd-97f7-dad665ecfd6dPost:434c025f-34a6-4c44-b81b-6299c90512a6">Re: help ladies</a>:
[QUOTE]I work at a dermatologist office and I would seriously recommend you get a spray tan or airbrush tan. Like a PP said, Tanning beds are very carcinogenic<strong>. Skin cancer is not a pretty sight ladies. And removing them can leave ugly scars</strong>. Seriously, I wouldn't opt for the tanning bed.
Posted by SugarFoote[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>I can show ya'll the scarring I have from melanoma...from using tanning beds when I was a teenager.</div><div>OP--you're worried about streaks on your back on your wedding day.  I get to stand at the altar with a 6" zipper down my right arm, and a 5" one under my right arm from having lymph nodes removed.  That doesn't count the pock marks from biopsies (there are 12 across my arms, legs and torso).  Get a spray tan, especially if you're porcelain skinned like you say.  It's not worth it.</div>

vsgal

You know that you can get melonomia from one good sunburn.  Those tanning beds are deadly.

If you are worried about the color coming off, get an airbrush.  They don't streak and the color can be controlled.  If you are very alabaster, you will want to have control over the color.  Even 5 minutes in a tanning booth can cause a sunburn which will peel and leave your skin splotchy. You run the risk of two-toning yourself. 

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but my grandmother had lethal melanoma removed from her chin, nose and forehead.  She tanned.  My dental hygentist has melanoma removed from her cheek. She told me she went to a tanning bed to get ready for her 30 year high school reunion. She burned the first time she went in for 7 minutes. 

chrryblndchick

I have to agree with PP about avoiding the tanning bed and do a spray tan. I highly recommend going the airbrush route. Someone controls the spray so you're pretty much guaranteed to have it even, plus they can pick the right color for your skin so you don't end up too dark or orange. I did it back in high school for prom and I loved it. Also on a plus, you only have to pay and go in once instead of making time 3-4 a weeks for several weeks before hand.