Thursday, July 11, 2013

Information About Achieving A Skin Tan

By Haywood Hunter


To tan the skin is the process by which the color of skin is changed, usually to have a darker shade than its normal color. Skin tanning can be achieved naturally through exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun or by using use of artificial tanning products, a process called sunless tanning. The latter method has steadily gained popularity after a connection was discovered between exposure to UV rays and skin cancer.

A method of getting skin tanned using the ultraviolet radiation is simply baking the skin using sunlight, which constitutes a leisure activity known as sunbathing. Sunbathing is the most commonly used techniques of causing skin to tan. Windburn is another phenomenon that can increase the extent of suntan. It is the removal of the UV-inhibiting layer of skin by wind therefore allowing sunlight to set in and increase the degree of tanning.

UV radiation is also emitted by a piece of equipment called a sunbed which can be used to make skin get tanned as though it were exposed to sunlight. Sunbeds, also called tanning beds, produce artificial UV rays like those in sunlight through phosphor-laced lamps. The bulk of the rays produced by sunbeds are UV A rays but a few are UV B rays. The device is like an artificial way of sunbathing.

A skin can also be tanned without the sun or any UV radiation. Techniques of getting skin tanned without sunlight are called fake tanning or UV-free tanning. This method will involve use of chemicals either orally or topically to cause the skin to tan as though it was exposed to UV radiation.

Beta-carotene is the most useful compound in the making of sun-free tanning products because it protects the skin against the potential harm of UV and also causes a better tanning. Sunburn is uneven skin tone caused by the UV radiation of the sun. Beta-carotene prevents cancer triggered by the effects of sunlight on skin while also tanning the skin better.

There are other different compounds besides beta-carotene that are used to manufacture UV-free tanning products. Pills or products based on beta-carotene remain the most popular choice for getting a tan, though. Also, some people have started to use temporary tanning solutions like creams and powders that come off when cleaned with water.




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