Please help! Tan ALWAYS looks awful on me

[lauren-ox]

Hi everyone!! Im hoping someone can please help me!!
As you can see from the picture my tan on my stomach looks awful!!
It has ALWAYS come out like this whenever ive tanned.. Spray/cream/mousse tans ..the lot!! It seems to be twice as dark in this large birthmark kind of patch?!

Ive tried everything to prevent it ..put moisturiser on the area before tanning/exfoliate on this area more/moisturise it a tad after ive applied it ..but nothing works!! When i have no tan on there is nothing on my stomach at all, and when i naturally tan it never appears either. Its so strange and really annoying me now!! I decided to just put up with it but soon im going on holiday and want to start off with a spray tan so im not the palest one there as my friends are going for 2 weeks but im joining them on the last week, however obviously id want to wear a bikini and with this on my stomach i definately wouldnt !! Can somebody Please help me ive never found any answers !!

for any questions that may be asked ..I dont shave/wax or use hair removal creams on the area, i exfoliate it the same as i would with my whole body, Ive tried NOT exfoliating the area before a tan (didnt work) ..I have not had a baby/been pregnant.

I would really appreciate any help or advice you could give me! I hope you can understand how frustrating this is for me!! :-( xx

 

[rainbowtanning]

Any medication? Have you tried applying a lighter coat on your tummy? It looks like pigmentation but if there's nothing there beforehand it is definitely weird! Which brands have you tried?

 

[Vassy]

What kind of washing products are you using? Imperial Leather, Dove and some others leave a film on the skin, so the DHA can`t actually reach the acids on your skin and create the tan. Probably try to shower with just water 2 days before the tan
Please keep us informed how it goes and if you find any solution.
Good luck xx

 

[Belle Beauty]

I have a client who gets patches similar to this on her underarms/back of the arm. I tried applying a very small amount of barrier cream to the area before I last sprayed her and that seemed to work. Perhaps that's worth a try x

 

[miss ellie]

Hi! You've said (quote) "I have not had a baby/been pregnant"

It's interesting because I have had 2 tan clients with the exact same effect on their tummy area - butterfly like & almost symmetrical. Turned out they were actually pregnant but unaware. Think it was called chloasma? It's certainly an odd one & I'd be reluctant to put it down to product use due to the shape honestly. Hope you enjoy the hols anyway!

 

[lauren-ox]

Any medication? Have you tried applying a lighter coat on your tummy? It looks like pigmentation but if there's nothing there beforehand it is definitely weird! Which brands have you tried?

Ive been on the pill, but that was last year.. Surely it couldnt do some sort of long term damage?! Ive tried the lot :-( in the picture im wearing omg tan 16%, however ive tried.. fakebake, st tropez, vita liberata, sienna x, sunlabs plus alot of retail tans on the side, They all do the same! :-( xx

 

[lauren-ox]

What kind of washing products are you using? Imperial Leather, Dove and some others leave a film on the skin, so the DHA can`t actually reach the acids on your skin and create the tan. Probably try to shower with just water 2 days before the tan
Please keep us informed how it goes and if you find any solution.
Good luck xx

when im exfoliating before the tan i just use water and exfoliating gloves so i have no products on me whatsoever ..however when i have tried to use products with exfoliating its didnt make a difference anyway :-( and thankyou! xx

 

[lauren-ox]

I have a client who gets patches similar to this on her underarms/back of the arm. I tried applying a very small amount of barrier cream to the area before I last sprayed her and that seemed to work. Perhaps that's worth a try x

Thankyou so much, i havent actually tried barrier cream! I tried putting moisturiser over my stomach however it didnt make a difference, i'll give barrier cream a try though thankyou xx

 

[lauren-ox]

Hi! You've said (quote) "I have not had a baby/been pregnant"

It's interesting because I have had 2 tan clients with the exact same effect on their tummy area - butterfly like & almost symmetrical. Turned out they were actually pregnant but unaware. Think it was called chloasma? It's certainly an odd one & I'd be reluctant to put it down to product use due to the shape honestly. Hope you enjoy the hols anyway!

Thankyou hun and lol im deffo not pregnant haha!! It happens everytime, ever since ive started tanning not just once or twice, But thankyou! xx

 

[Belle Beauty]

Thankyou so much, i havent actually tried barrier cream! I tried putting moisturiser over my stomach however it didnt make a difference, i'll give barrier cream a try though thankyou xx

You just need a small amount to reduce the amount of tan picked up on the skin as opposed to blocking it all out and having a white tummy!! Lol. Hope it works for you x

 

[unas escarlata]

I think this may be melasma - you don't have to be pregnant to suffer from this - it is most common in pregnancy, but hormones can cause this type of hyperpigmentation and if I have understood correctly, you were previously on the pill. I am not on the pill and I have a patch of this on my face. I guess it's not what you want to hear but if it is melasma, it will worsen in the sun - my face does and a spray tan does look blotchy. Hyperpigmentation can be related to previous sun damage - have you ever had a sunburnt belly?

I got this from wiki to explain it a but better
"Melasma is thought to be the stimulation of melanocytes or pigment-producing cells by the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone to produce more melanin pigments when the skin is exposed to sun. Women with a light brown skin type who are living in regions with intense sun exposure are particularly susceptible to developing this condition. Genetic predisposition is also a major factor in determining whether someone will develop melasma.
The incidence of melasma also increases in patients with thyroid disease. It is thought that the overproduction of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) brought on by stress can cause outbreaks of this condition. Other rare causes of melasma include allergic reaction to medications and cosmetics."

Only proper diagnosis will confirm but if it gets worse on holiday, that's your answer. High protection SPF - even as high as you can possibly go will not really help - you will still notice some darkening of that area as pigment is produced by all forms of visible light.

For the spray tanning, I'd try by referring back to the photo applying aqueous/barrier cream to the hyperpigmented areas yourself before your tanner starts spraying you.

Please keep us posted, I'd like to know if there any any changes.

(Jealous of the holiday!!)
x

 

[JHall]

I have Melasma too on my face, forehead, cheekbones, upperlip, chin & jaw and it does look very much like in your photo, I would go see you your gp as there are creams he can prescribe to help lighten the patches.

 

[*sarah*]

Is the skin totally smooth ? just wondered if it could be a skin infection or stress rash (I've had both ) xx

 

[Popart]

Hi Lauren, have u tried an organic tan? It seems that the alcohol from the tans u have mention are drying up your skin on this particular area!
Barrier cream before hand is always a good idea.

I have noticed this on Clients when I used tan with the alcohol as when applied to dry skin it only makes it worse! Def give the organic tan a try and let us know! Karora is a good one

 

[lauren-ox]

I think this may be melasma - you don't have to be pregnant to suffer from this - it is most common in pregnancy, but hormones can cause this type of hyperpigmentation and if I have understood correctly, you were previously on the pill. I am not on the pill and I have a patch of this on my face. I guess it's not what you want to hear but if it is melasma, it will worsen in the sun - my face does and a spray tan does look blotchy. Hyperpigmentation can be related to previous sun damage - have you ever had a sunburnt belly?

I got this from wiki to explain it a but better
"Melasma is thought to be the stimulation of melanocytes or pigment-producing cells by the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone to produce more melanin pigments when the skin is exposed to sun. Women with a light brown skin type who are living in regions with intense sun exposure are particularly susceptible to developing this condition. Genetic predisposition is also a major factor in determining whether someone will develop melasma.
The incidence of melasma also increases in patients with thyroid disease. It is thought that the overproduction of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) brought on by stress can cause outbreaks of this condition. Other rare causes of melasma include allergic reaction to medications and cosmetics."

Only proper diagnosis will confirm but if it gets worse on holiday, that's your answer. High protection SPF - even as high as you can possibly go will not really help - you will still notice some darkening of that area as pigment is produced by all forms of visible light.

For the spray tanning, I'd try by referring back to the photo applying aqueous/barrier cream to the hyperpigmented areas yourself before your tanner starts spraying you.

Please keep us posted, I'd like to know if there any any changes.

(Jealous of the holiday!!)
x

Thankyou so much for your reply! However when i tan naturally in the sun i do not have this patch appear at all, my colour is even all over. When i am pale there is nothing on my stomach at all, then once the tan is applied to my skin this patch appears pretty much instantly! To be honest i have no idea if i have, as far as i can remember i havent been badly sunburnt in this area although i may have when i was really young. But thankyou so much for the information i will definately read more into it xx

 

[Tan Envy]

lauren-ox - does this appear as soon as the solution hits your skin or does it take time to come up ie. is it only noticable after you wash off the colour guide or a couple of days later?

 

[lauren-ox]

lauren-ox - does this appear as soon as the solution hits your skin or does it take time to come up ie. is it only noticable after you wash off the colour guide or a couple of days later?

No hun it appears straight away, as soon as im finished being sprayed you can already see this patch is much darker x

 

[Tan Envy]

No hun it appears straight away, as soon as im finished being sprayed you can already see this patch is much darker x

OK. Have you ever been badly burnt in this area and peeled? Although I believe a natural tan would cause this too if that was the case.

Can I suggest that you try taking out your belly jewellery and making sure you do not spray deodorant or any perfumes on this area for a few days before your next tan? It could well be a reaction between the solution and your jewellery.

 

[lauren-ox]

OK. Have you ever been badly burnt in this area and peeled? Although I believe a natural tan would cause this too if that was the case.

Can I suggest that you try taking out your belly jewellery and making sure you do not spray deodorant or any perfumes on this area for a few days before your next tan? It could well be a reaction between the solution and your jewellery.

Thankyou for your reply Somebody else also said that if i have badly peeled in that area before that could be whats causing it, however if i have then i honestly cannot remember! But when i tan naturally it never appears.

I dont spray deodrant or perfume in this area at anytime anyway so i doubt it would be that, but i will definately try taking out my belly bar before the next tan!!

 

[CloudNine]

I was badly burnt about 6 years ago when we went to the Caribbean and since then I have a patch on the back of each leg where a tan just won't take. I often have to top it up the next day manually with a bit more tan so that it blends in