Answers to the most burning questions, and some spray tanning tips.

After you have worked in a spray tanning salon for a while, you will see that there are few questions that repeat again and again. To those we give answers below, but if you have any other ones, please visit our "questions" page where I give some more spray tanning tips to more unusual queries.

More spray tanning tips.
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Q: Will spray tan protect me from getting a sunburn?

A: No! When going into the sun, you must wear sun protection.

The only way it will help to protect you is that you will not be tempted to sun bake since you will have your tan already.

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Q: Is the spray tanning solution safe?

A: DHA has been tested, and approved by FDA, so I assume it is safe however, there can be anywhere up to 40 ingredients in spray tanning solution, many of them without ANY testing EVER, so those are the ones you have to watch. Here is more on the subject. --------------------------------------------

Q: Is there anything that I can do to assure that I get the best spray tan?

A: Absolutely. One of the most important things that you must do is to thoroughly exfoliate before spray tanning. The shallower the dead skin layer on the surface of your skin, the more time it will take for this layer to build up before it starts rubbing off. That means the better the exfoliation, the more even your tan will be throughout it's life and the longer it will last. The best exfoliation by far is with the Baiden Mitten. Of course it is just as vital to moisturize every day after spray tanning to keep your skin from drying out and exfoliating prematurely.

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Q: How brown will I get?

A: Everybody’s skin develops its own individual colour. Some people go very brown, others get just a glow. For those people, with repeated sessions, the skin tends to get used to solution, and starts to develop more colour. (You only need a few sessions to achieve this).

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More spray tanning tips.
Q: How long will the tan last?

A: Depending on how well you prepare, and take care of your spray tan afterwards, about 5-10 days. If you tan regularly, your skin will get used to the spray, and will hold the colour longer. Then you might need a top up every 2 weeks or so.

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Q: How soon after the spray tan can I shower?

A: Leave it on for at least 5 hours. If you spray tanned with a clear solution then you might choose to go to bed without showering, and wake up brown! If you spray tanned with a solution that contained a bronzer, better take that shower, or you will stain the sheets.

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Q: My last spray tan was different than the previous one, even though it was done in the same spray tan salon.

A: Again, it comes down to your skin. Your skin is a living thing, and is affected by many things like: time of the month, season, food you eat, stress, medication you take etc. If your tan is different, even though solution used was the same, the most probable cause is the condition of your skin.

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Q: What if I have a very fair skin that has never been able to tan?

A: Hey, this is exactly why the spray tanning process was designed in the first place, for people that could not tan by any other method! Most probably you will get a fantastic colour with spray tan! Of course, people that tan easily will tan too.

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Q: Will I spray tan evenly if I have hair on my legs/arms?

A: Hair is not a problem. At the end of the tanning cycle you will notice droplets of solution on your hair, just towel this excess solution off with a towel provided.

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Q: What if I have a bald spot?

A: Just skip the shower cap. It is provided only for the purpose of keeping your hair dry. The solution will not do anything to your hair, but it is a good idea to tan your bald spot as well.

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Q: What if spray tanning solution will get into my eyes?

A: It’s best to keep your eyes closed during the misting process; however the solution is not harmful to the eyes.

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Q: Does the solution have unpleasant smell like some self-tanners on the market?

A: Some do, but Magic Tan solution has a very pleasant smell (although a bit strong in the booth).

After you towel off the smell will be very faint, and somewhat like Cherry Ripe. After you have a shower the smell will be gone altogether --------------------------------------------More spray tanning tips.
Q: I had bad experience with a spray tan before. Should I assume that spray tanning is not for me?

A: No, there are many factors that could effect your tan; the skill of the technician (if tanned with hand held gun), the quality of solution, your skin condition at a time.

To find out more spray tanning tips before spray tan - click here. Also remember, that the spray tanning solution is a cosmetic, and so the particular one that you had used, might not be acceptable to your skin.

Try another solution, another technician, or better still a booth. Make sure that you choose the lightest tan possible, and good luck. The chances are high, that you will get a great tan this time, but if the same problem occurs, you might be one of those unfortunates that should not use spray tanning.(Bummer!)

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Q: My spray tan is peeling on my chest!

A:Very rare occurrence, but we went through so much frustration, before we could give you a spray tanning tip on this problem, that I thought I might include it.

The answer, as we found it, is your perfumes, which were applied either before, or after the session. And it does not matter, if you had a shower and scrubbed before your spray tan. Some perfumes just permeate skin so deep, and cause this strange problem.

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Q: I used spray tanning product recommended by a friend. She gets a great tan; I turn orange.

A:Your friend had a different skin. You might have to choose a different product that is suitable for your skin. Try using the products more sparingly, this often helps.

Almost everybody has a tube of self tanning product in their drawer that did not work for them. Swap those with your friends and experiment. Chances are that what’s bad for them might be just perfect for you. Just watch those "use by" dates. Those products have limited shelf life.

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Q: I had a spray tan in a booth, and when I came out, I had streaks on the back of my legs.

A : This problem occurs only if there is a bronzer in the solution. Next time, after you come out of the booth, immediately wipe the backs of your legs. If the streaks will not disappear, the shop assistant should gently wipe them off with wet wipes, and then lightly re apply tanning solution.

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Q: Can I spray tan if I am pregnant?

A When I had the salon, I was told that spray tanning in pregnancy is safe. However, I found out some disturbing facts, which you should know about. Visit my page which deals with tanning in pregnancy to find out more.

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Q: Can I go swimming after spray tanning?

A: Wait at least 6 hours. Chlorinated water will bleach your tan really quickly, so I would not advise it. If you want to swim in the sea, make your swims short. The longer you soak yourself, the faster your tan will come off.

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Q: Can I have sex after a spray tan?

A: Not straight away if you are planning to sweat. If you do sweat, your tan will run. It will be really bad if you had a tan with a bronzer. You will look like you are mud wrestling. You will also stain the sheets. If you had a spray tan with a clear solution, it is best to wait about 4 hours before you even consider jumping into bed. If solution had a bronzer in it, wait the allocated developing time, then have a shower. Now you can have fun.

If you follow the link above to my questions page, you will find answers to many questions that others already asked.

Even though after working in tanning industry for a while I might be considered some sort of an "expert", I certainly don't have all the answers.

If you have a spray tanning tip that works really well for you, share it with us!

You might give us a hand in reducing population of Oompa Loompas and other spray tanning disasters for which, I for one will be eternally grateful.More spray tanning tips.

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