Archive for February, 2010

Tanning Pills

Having that sun-kissed look year round can take years off your appearance, and can even make you look more vibrant, healthier, and slimmer. Unfortunately, spending hours in the sun isn’t always something that we have time to do. With our busy schedules in our day to day lives finding an easier and faster way to tan is what we’re all searching for. One way some people have chosen to try is with tanning pills, but how safe are they? And how do tanning pills even work?

Sunless tanning products such as creams, lotion and sprays are just one way to achieve a natural-looking tan, but popping a pill to achieve the same effects may be another option.
Are sunless tanning pills as safe and effective as their makers claim? A closer look reveals the truth behind sunless tanning pills:

How Sunless Tanning Pills Work

Sunless tanning pills typically contain a number of vitamins along with pigment-enhancing ingredients such as tyrosine and caretonoid. Tyrosine is an amino acid commonly found in foods such as avocados, fish, chicken, whole grains and pumpkin seeds. Most people get enough tyrosine from their diets, but some people have reported that their skin turns orange with tyrosine supplementation. Results can be further enhanced by exposing the skin to UV rays, and many people take sunless tanning pills before hitting the tanning bed in hopes of boosting that tan.

Caretonoid may also enhance the amount of visible pigmentation on the skin, and colors the layer of fat under the skin’s surface. These tanning pills contain the active ingredient ‘canthaxanthin’ which binds itself to the layer of fat underneath the skin during the darkening process. However, researchers are still trying to determine what the dosage of this supplement is appropriate for human consumption. Dermanetwork.org reports that the amount of caretonoid required to achieve this high level of pigmentation may be dangerous.

Hidden Dangers of Sunless Tanning Pills

Both tyrosine and caretonoid are ingredients that simply ‘color’ your skin various shades of orange, and some formulas may be powerful enough to turn the skin a very dark and unattractive color. Sunless tanning pills are an unregulated dietary supplement, and are not backed by enough scientific studies to be deemed safe; in fact, the Food and Drug Administration has not given these sunless tanning pills its stamp of approval.
The Cleveland Clinic Center for Consumer Health explains highlights some important risk factors involved with sunless tanning pills. Common side effects of these pills include:

* Diarrhea
* Nausea
* Liver damage
* Anemia

An Overview Of the Types of Tanning Pills

Canthaxanthin

One of the best-known tanning pills contains a harmless, non-toxic food coloring, Canthaxanthin, a natural organic nutritional supplement. Oficially, canthaxanthin is approved by the FDA, as a vitamin supplement.
USA Food and Drug Administration Department recommends it only for use in small amounts in food coloring. Except food coloring, where the dosage is strictly established and controlled, there is a problem of using canthaxantin in other formulas.
The human body (body fat, more exactly) can’t decipher it from pills so it turns into orange instead of a bronze color. Body fat can absorb a certain dosage, until saturation is achieved. Besides, self tannng pills are under suspicion since liver damage, jaundice cases and hepatitis have been detected as side effects. That is why this supplement is not approved as an oral tanner.

Elusun

Another self tanning pill is Elusun, containing betacarotene as an active ingredient. It was produced in France and it was famous a few years ago. This was also a tanning pill passing as a nutritional supplement; those experiencing Elusun were extremely confused about the dosage and about the orange tint they got.

Melanotan-1

Meanwhile, something also working as a self tanning pill, but containing a synthetic derivative, has been created in the labs. Melanotan-1 is a drug and can induce tanning. The drug derives from the natural hormone which controls skin pigmentation. The tablets should be taken only after the meals throughout the day for optimum absorbtion. The dosage has to do with body weight, too. It is said that the pigmentation appears no sooner than in two weeks.
The studies regarding melanotan-1 are inconclusive so far. In fact, none of the self tanning pills have been officially introduced and established.

Bottom line, if you do decide to go with sunless tanning pills make sure that you follow the strict guidelines on the bottle. Always check with your docter or pharmacist if you are taking any other perscription medication. Not for everyone,using these tanning pills can be an effective way of producing a color that may satisfy you. Trial and error is the best way to decide if these tanning pills are for you or if you would rather hit the beach or tanning bed.

Update: I was just informed that Melanotan-1 is not made in pill form. Sorry about that I was mis informed. Thank you-http://melanotan.org/ – afamelanotide

Tanning Beds

Using a tanning bed allows you to have a bronze body all year around, without worrying about spending all of your time in the sun. Tanning beds also let you control the intensity and the amount of light that you are exposed to.

Tanning beds really started gaining popularity in the United States in the 1980’s. They were discovered by a scientist from Germany, named Friedrich Wolff. That is where the famous Wolff tanning beds originated.

There are basically two ways to tan, in a tanning salon or in the convenience of your own home. Home tanning beds can easily be purchased. You can purchase a tanning bed from an online retailer, direct from the manufacturer or some local stores will carry tanning beds. It is important that when purchasing a tanning bed for home use, that you get one that is specifically designed to be used in a home, verses one that is designed to be used in a salon.

There are many different tanning beds available. The most popular is the lay down tanning bed. There are also the stand up tanning booths. There is always some sort of protective cover usually made of Plexiglas, over the actual tanning bulbs.

Tanning beds are made to be quite comfortable. Some come with a variety of features, including cooling fan, radio, misting fan and some even have air conditioning or aroma therapy to make your tanning experience as enjoyable as possible.
The type and number of tanning bulbs used in a tanning bed vary from bed to bed. Some beds have 48-60 UV bulbs that are each 100 watts. Other beds are designed to hold 24-46 UV bulbs that are between 100-160 watts each. The number and type of bulbs each bed uses, depends on the size and style of the tanning bed.

Indoor Tanning Tips

No matter how hard you try you just can’t get that great indoor tan in a tanning bed? I have the answer. First of all your indoor tanning lotion makes all the difference, there are a few different types of indoor tanning lotions. There are accelerators and there are bronzers. Most likely if you have tried a tingler you got a beet red color and could actually feel your skin burning. They have been shown to work very well though. Personally I can’t stand the feeling of my skin burning away from tinglers,although I still use that type of indoor tanning lotion(what does that say?). For light skinned people they will probably give your skin a reddish look, try testing it out on a small portion of skin.

In the shower on the morning you wish to go tanning, specifically indoor tanning, you must use an exfoliant. Exfoliation is extremely important to the overall effectiveness of tanning in a tanning bed. By exfoliating the skin we are able to wash away dry, dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface. Shaving is also an excellent way to “exfoliate” because the razor gets rid of excess dry skin cells as well. Exfoliation is important because it rids dry skin, which can interfere with the tanning process, and also prevents flaking of the skin.

If you have an exercise routine it is a good idea to work out before going tanning. Something with the blood flow and increased circulation, it helps your skin with producing the melanin.

After your shower and exfoliation it is important to moisturize. At this stage, most any moisturizer will work. Moisturizers are most effective on moist, still wet skin, which is why you should immediately apply lotion after stepping out of the shower. This way, it will absorb better into the skin and your skin will retain moisture for longer. This is an important step before tanning because moist skin gets the most effective tanning results. I would like to recommend something with dead sea salts in it, that is my preference.

When you first start tanning you have to start out with a mild tanning lotion such as a bronzer, I like Black Night, Cafe Bronzer and Paint it Black but there are many more out there. Check out my others articles about choosing different types of tanning lotion.

After you develop a base tan you can start my special technique of using a good bronzer of your choice and just applying a little bit of a tingle lotion on your arms and legs and other trouble spots that don’t get as tan as the rest of your body.

Finally the last step is to use, not a sunless tanner but more specifically Jergens Natural Glow. It works wonders in trouble areas that don’t tan as well, such as under the neck and shoulders and under your arms and arm pits. It also tops off your perfect tan with a beautiful brown glow but don’t worry it isn’t even that noticeable just as long as you don’t go overboard with it.

Good Luck with everything and please feel free to leave me a comment about your experiences or about my blog.

Tanning Bed Rash

There are risks that are associated with indoor tanning beds, one being a tanning bed rash. There are certain symptoms of a tanning bed rash that you may notice and this may include small, red pimples and blisters that appear on the skin, typically a few days after using the tanning bed.

You can develop a tanning bed rash which is similar to heat rash when you are in a tanning bed because your body gets very warm and irritated. A tanning bed rash can develop when using a tanning bed because of the intense heat generated from the strong tanning bed bulbs, often times within a small tanning room.

Treatment:

The most important thing to do is avoid getting a tanning bed rash to begin with, but since this is not always possible, you will want to be aware of the options that you have in terms of treatment for the tanning bed rash.

There are medicated creams on the market that you can use, and which will help to moisturize the skin and relieve the irritation of the tanning bed rash. If the rash is particularly bad, your doctor may suggest that you use prescription medication for a certain amount of time or that you go to a dermatologist for more severe treatment.

Keep in mind that your tanning bed rash actually may be caused from you taking a medication, so you will want to speak to your doctor and as well to the tanning salon owner to make sure that your medication is not going to cause any problems. Reactions that may occur include blistering or a painful skin rash and so if this does happen you should stop using tanning beds immediately until you have spoken to a doctor or at least until you are done taking your medicine. If it is a medicine that you are permanently taking you will have to find another option.but it is important that you do not continue to go tanning because you will only be making the tanning bed rash worse and this can end up causing you serious problems. Make sure that if you are going to go tanning you take all the necessary precautions and be aware of the dangers and risks associated with it.

Certain Medication And Tanning

An important factor to be aware of if you are planning on tanning in a tanning bed or outdoors is that some types of medications increase photosensitivity in our body. This means that our skin develops a tendency to show increased sensitivity when exposed to sun or tanning beds. Some types of medicines can cause a serious sun burn.

Drug-induced photosensitivity manifests itself mostly in the form of prominently visible sunburn. Important point is that not always are we aware that our body has developed this photosensitivity until later when it’s too late and we’re sun burnt.

The main reason for this condition is the intentional or unintentional application or consumption of skin-affecting products and medication. The visible signs of such a reaction emerge when the skin comes in contact with ultraviolet radiation in the form of an indoor tanning bed. The severity of sunburns is another sign of our skin becoming photosensitive. At this stage, people develop rashes in areas that were exposed to the sun.

Care should be taken if you plan to go in an indoor tanning bed. In that case you should definetly tell the tanning salon administrator about your skin’s photosensitivity. A suitable solution would then be found out for you.

If you are those who like the color of your skin tanned but find yourself at a stage where you need to take medication or topical products, then it is better to consult your physician about the photosensitive reaction of these medications and indoor tanning beds. He/she is the best person to tell you more about both prescription and non-prescription drugs, cosmetics, shampoos, herbal and other similar products. Sometimes your prescription can be changed or altered. Unfortunately in some cases you might have to stop or limit your indoor tanning.

Drug-induced photosensitivity can occur in anyone. However, some have a higher risk, those are people who have a fair complexion, have light brown, red, or blonde hair, have green or blue eyes, and who do not tan because of quick sunburns. If one has a history of severe sunburn(s), then too the risk of developing photosensitivity is increased.

The medications that you need to watch out for, include drug types like antihistamines, contraceptives (oral & estrogens), coal tar and derivatives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, psoralens, phenothiazines, sulfonylureas, sulfonamides, thiazide diuretics, tetracyclines, and tricyclic antidepressants.

Don’t get alarmed if your taking a medication that I just mentioned. Just talk to your docter or pharmacist about it. Remember everyones body is different and reacts to things differently. If you are using an indoor tanning bed and are on a medication use precaution. It’s better to be safe than sorry.