spray tan or real tan

catlin21 · May 2012

So i am getting married in may of next year. My question is... Do yall think I should get a fake spray tan for my wedding or go to the tanning bed for a couple of months before.

I just want to make sure that the spray tan does not rub off or get on my dress.

Any advice?

jtoly · May 2012

Maybe you can try the spray tan to see what you'd like better. I've never had a spray tan so I'm not much help.

lls31 · May 2012

Spray tan is much safer. I do airbrush tans.

leighcd · May 2012

Catlin,

I just tried spay tanning last week as a trial run for my June 9 wedding. I went on a Tuesday night and was very happy with my tan on Weds, Thurs, and Fri. By the weekend it had started to fade somewhat.

I did notice that after I worked out on Weds night I had some orangey spots on my white shirt. It was really not noticeable but it made me reconsider when I would tan again. I am planning to get the spray tan Weds night before my Sat wedding. That will leave enough time for it all to soak in.

I would recommend doing a trial run to see how it works for you. I was very happy with it and wouldn't do the tanning bed option. I also got a groupon deal so that was good.

Good luckl!

mrshall1027 · May 2012

I just did my first spray tanning session last night. Overall, I am happy with it. The guy didn't do a very good job prepping me for it, but it looks good for the most part. He said it would take 24 hours to develop, but when I woke up this morning, I could already see it. It's not orangy looking, which was my biggest fear. The bad thing that happened is that it was raining really hard when I left the salon which caused me to have a couple of spots on my arms where the water hit and my hands turned orange from trying to rub the water in and I forgot to wash them when I got home.

The two things I will do differently next time is not go when it's raining and rub it in immediately, just to elimante some blotchy spots.

I will always love the look of a real tan, but I'm too scared to go that route. It's not worth the risks in my opinion.

fallbride1109 · May 2012

If you get a spray tan, do not get the bronzer sprayed on with it--that is what rubs off on your clothes. Also, if you have airbrush tanning in your area (where a person sprays you instead of a machine), this is what I recommend.

csweaney · May 2012

I wouldn't recommend a tanning bed. Not worth the skin cancer. Spray tans are lovely if you go to the right salon. Check yelp.com for tanning salons in your area and go by the quality of the reviews.

xobride · May 2012

I've done the tan in a can and my sister has done the spray tan. Honestly, I think a natural tan is better and it doesn't have to be cancerous. I use SPF 30 and start out in the actual sun with 30 minutes a side and go up from there. The danger is burning, that's where the cancer threat comes from. As long as you go gradually and naturally, you're fine. I'm normally very fair skinned (I'm Irish), but I tan well provided I go slowly and use sunblock. I use SPF 50 and reapply often when I will be in the sun for extended periods of time like on the beach or a waterpark. I've done the tanning beds, but prefer the natural method.

Grits8812 · May 2012

Only tanning for a couple months might not get you the color you want (obviously depending how dark you wish to be). While most places tell you every 24 hours, I've heard that it is better to go every other day to give you skin a chance to recover which will make your tan better.

Spray tans can be just as great as a real tan though, as long as you get it professionally done. Around here to have someone mix a custom color and tan you by hand, it is anywhere forom $30 to $60, which is much more affordable than a months worth of tanning at a salon.

Just make sure you don't use the spray tan booths that are a machine. They won't get everywhere and often leave you streaky or a shade you really don't want.

neongreenbox · May 2012

how much of a tan do you want? If you are on the fairer side in general keep in mind that you don't want to look back at the pictures and realize it doesn't look like you, but a nice glow of course is always lovely. I would go spray tan route like others suggested (go to a professional), maybe since you still have a while you can get an idea with the build-a-tan lotions. Have you picked out your dress yet? Keep in mind that there are so many shades of white and ivory, some are more pink based and some are more yellow. You definitely want to be ready for that color against your skin tone.
I know most people warn you about tanning beds and I want to join that group. I know 6, SIX, ladies that have been diagnosed with melanoma (thankfully they were all caught in early stages) - some had been in a tanning bed a handful of times and were always careful out in the sun and a couple went for a few years to the salon. I guess what I am trying to say is you can never be too careful.

abt87 · May 2012

I've had bad experiences each time with getting spray tanned, booth or by person. I'd recommend trying a few different places for a spray tan to see which you would like best. I think having a real peron do it would be best, but I have dark beigel/olive skin, so I will most likely do natural and touch up with spray tan if I have lines from the summer. I recommend anyone who spends any prolonged period in the sun to get their skin checked!!

spray tan or real tan

Re: spray tan or real tan

Choose Another Board

Search Boards