Monday, July 15, 2013

Information About Getting A Skin Tan

By Veronica Cappelletti


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.

One way of getting skin tanned from UV is by lying in the sun, which is a recreational activity referred to as sunbathing. This is the most basic and probably easiest way to get a tan. How fast or how well suntan works can also be influenced by another condition referred to as windburn. Windburn is the effect of the wind removing the lipid layer of skin which keeps out ultraviolet radiation, thus increasing the tanning.

Besides the sun one can also achieve skin tanned from UV is by using a device referred to as a tanning bed or a sunbed which produces UV radiation artificially. Sunbeds have fluorescent bulbs infused with phosphor and produce rays identical to those of sunlight. Besides a small portion of UV B, most of the radiation produced is UV A using this device has little difference from sunbathing.

You an also get a skin tan without sunlight or any form of ultraviolet source. The technique of doing so is called fake tanning or sunless tanning. In this process, chemicals are used to induce tanning like that of sunlight. These chemicals are taken as pills or applied onto skin.

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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