Would you recommend using a sunbed for a couple of sessions before a holiday?

[MissLou]

Hey skin geeks, just popped over from hair geek
Im off to Egypt for a week in March and I want to go with a light tan before i start my hols and then hopefully come back beautifully darker

I never use sunbeds, I am a spray tanner at heart and always have a spray ten weekly lol but I know once I jump in a pool the tan fades 90% and goes patchy.

So my question is, is it actually healthier to have a few sunbeds before my holiday? I was thinking about this as an alternative to my spray tans but also logically, by having a few sunbeds, this would build up my skin defences, pigmentation (sorry dont know the facts just typing as i ponder this lol) making it a bit healthier when i do get in the real sun as i'll have a build up, meaning i'm less likely to burn? I always wear factor 50-30 in the sun anyway, as im really wary of skin cancers, But is this actually better? Or am i completely wrong and in fact its still mega dangerous and makes no differnece to when i get my skin in the real sun?….

Hope that makes sense, any advice you got is appreciated
xxxx

 

[gillian w]

I'm not an advocate of sunbeds but I think yes if you are going out in strong sun after being covered up all year then its not a bad idea at all to have a few beforehand.
I personally keep my face out of the sun completely as its a small enough area to fake.
So drape something over your face when sunbedding and wear a high factor face cream and big glasses when on your hols.I also wear a big hat
In fact wear a high factor on your face all round in this country too.I also smother my face in Elizabeth arden 8 hour cream and wear something that resembles a balaclava in the cold wind to walk the dog.I hope to look 30 when I'm 60 not that my face will match my body though that looks 60 now .
The creams you can get to kick start your melanin are supposed to be good too.I know Elemis do a tan accelerator.

 

[jacqueline]

I would say no, not these days when the dangers of tanning beds is well known. Years ago we didn't know any different but I wouldn't go near one now.

 

[mybronzesun]

I am from canada and have worked in the UV industry. (And now I am a Sunless Spray tan technician&#128522
I would recommended yes a little tanning before your holiday.
Especially when your body has not seen sun in months and you are going somewhere hot and sunny.
You will be almost guaranteed that if you do not pre-tan before your holiday, to burn in the first 2 days.
I would suggest starting out about 2 weeks before you leave, to go tanning for a very short time.
Start with 3-5 times going for 5 minutes. Then bump to 7 min for about 4 days and maybe if you are seeing color deepening, bump to 9 minutes the last few days. (I would go daily, you just should not tan sooner then 24 hours from your last tan)
Choosing to use tanning beds once in a while to prepare for a holiday is safe as long as you use the equipment safely as well.

As for wearing sunscreen you can still wear this while on vacation. A higher number of course will prevent you from getting that rich dark color you might want, so bring a mid and high range sunscreen.

I hope this helps. And enjoy your holidays.

 

[nickij]

You say you wear spf 30 and 50 as you're worried about cancer... But want to go on a sunbed????
A sunbed will never be the safer, better option, ever, not even when you think you are building 'protection'.
But it will come down to what you feel is more important, the dark tan you desire? Or healthy skin? Unfortunetly you cant have it both ways.
As for what somebody said about you will def burn the first couple of days if you dont get your skin used to the rays, thats rubbish, just make sure you buy a good quality broad spectrum ( uva and uvb) suncreen and apply reguarly and dont over do the exposure. You'll still get a colour but you'll be safer.
Sorry to give the boring answer, but i am a dermalogica skin expert and my mum had skin cancer which meant she had to have a part of her nose removed and plastic surgery to reconstruct! Its all about priorities.
Hth
Xx

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[littlekate]

You say you wear spf 30 and 50 as you're worried about cancer... But want to go on a sunbed????
A sunbed will never be the safer, better option, ever, not even when you think you are building 'protection'.
But it will come down to what you feel is more important, the dark tan you desire? Or healthy skin? Unfortunetly you cant have it both ways.
As for what somebody said about you will def burn the first couple of days if you dont get your skin used to the rays, thats rubbish, just make sure you buy a good quality broad spectrum ( uva and uvb) suncreen and apply reguarly and dont over do the exposure. You'll still get a colour but you'll be safer.
Sorry to give the boring answer, but i am a dermalogica skin expert and my mum had skin cancer which meant she had to have a part of her nose removed and plastic surgery to reconstruct! Its all about priorities.
Hth
Xx

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek mobile app

I agree. I am extremely pale and I always use factor 30 on holiday and never burn and I never use sunbeds. As long as you put enough sun cream on and regularly reapply you won't burn. The brown tan you get is actually your skin being damaged and because of this damage your skin is trying to protect itself. It's the skin damage you can't feel or see from a uv ray that are cancer causing. To me it's really not worth the risk just for a tan.

 

[Male Waxing]

I find the anti-sunbed argument to be questionable. The higher cancer rates seen by sunbed users fails to factor in the fact that a high percentage of people who use sunbeds are also the sort of people who cook themselves within an inch of their lives in the sun.

Common sense tells me that sunbeds/bathing will age your skin and may increase the risk of cancer (the same way people knew for 100s of years that smoking probably ain’t good for you long before they needed the government to tell them). But at the same time owning a car probably puts you at a higher risk of being involved in a car accident.

I like sunbeds. They make me feel good both physically and mentally. Sensible use and never burning or going red. In the sun I never use sun block, I stick to the shade or a hat.

At the end of the day sunlight and the tanning process are natural and so is….I’m sorry ladies….aging.

If I remember rightly the tan you get from a sunbed does little to protect you from the burning from sunlight. Something to do with the different UV rays (A or B) you get from sunlight and light bulbs. But you will look a little less stark white on the beach for the first few days tho.

Oh and btw…..nothing said on an internet forum constitutes medical/health advise so speak to a qualified professional

 

[squidgernetball]

My concern with sunbeds is the following: If you go in the sun carefully, you will gradually change colour. Your skin cells will adapt naturally. If you lie on a sunbed, it is a sped up process - look at things like the towers for a few minutes. What does this do the the cell turnover? I assume it speeds it up. So then what if you have rogue cells? Potentially cancerous cells? Do they speed up their process?

I don't know the answer, but I do know that I used sunbeds for a period of about 6 months some years ago, and realised that I was becoming addicted, and that scared the bejeesus out of me, so never again.

To the OP - you definitely don't need sunbeds for protection, you need - as has been said - a broad spectrum SPF of 15 or over (I personally wouldn't use over 15 on the face because of the chemicals).
Have a happy and safe holiday

Vicki x

 

[Carlalouise]

This is my personal opinion, I am no dermatologist but I think that when you've had your body hidden for months a few sun bed sessions in most cases is going to be absolutely fine and give you a base for a safe suntan whilst abroad.

I've worked in a sun bed shop and we had people with certain skin conditions referred to us from our local hospital as it can help with severe psoriasis and a number of other skin complaints. I always have a few sun beds before going on holiday as it's the only thing that stops me getting terrible, unsightly prickly heat on my arms, I will get this in or out of the sun.

If used sensibly and not continuously they do have their benefits.

 

[jacqueline]

Coincidentally enough, in the Daily Mail today. This is not necessarily the case here but just an example of why they shouldn't be abused.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...day-THREE-YEARS-left-massive-tumour-face.html

 

[gillian w]

We also must remember that sunlight is the best way to get vitamin D,so its not all bad.Surprisingly rickets have made a comeback in recent years.So if anyone is a complete sunlight avoider they need to take supplements.

 

[wonderwoman]

In my opinion, yes you should build it up.

I think a reputable salon will ask you to fill out a questionaire on your skin type and advise the amount of mins you can use. A sunbed is a good source of vitamin d and is is great for clients with ezcema and psorasis.

People who go on the band wagon of oh no its bad for you... all i have to say is are you wearing sun protecting factor everyday..(the sun is out everyday...unless your in britain!)..skin cancer comes from many unexplained reasons, and to link the two is i think is unfounded. Its the melanin in your skin that changes to a darker shade over time. if you went to ibiza then iceland...ud freeze. its the exact same for your skin, to make sure its doesnt fry. (people also forget that they can tan in the coldest of countries for instance when skiing.)

In my salon i ensure that my clients that nervous or unsure of the benefits of sunbeds, i go into detail. Work out the skin type and recommend a minimum of 4 sessions to build up a nice base, any more than that is dependent on skin type. please dont get scaremongered, have a look on sunbed association for more information. xoxo

 

[jacqueline]

In my opinion, yes you should build it up.

I think a reputable salon will ask you to fill out a questionaire on your skin type and advise the amount of mins you can use. A sunbed is a good source of vitamin d and is is great for clients with ezcema and psorasis.

People who go on the band wagon of oh no its bad for you... all i have to say is are you wearing sun protecting factor everyday..(the sun is out everyday...unless your in britain!)..skin cancer comes from many unexplained reasons, and to link the two is i think is unfounded. Its the melanin in your skin that changes to a darker shade over time. if you went to ibiza then iceland...ud freeze. its the exact same for your skin, to make sure its doesnt fry. (people also forget that they can tan in the coldest of countries for instance when skiing.)

In my salon i ensure that my clients that nervous or unsure of the benefits of sunbeds, i go into detail. Work out the skin type and recommend a minimum of 4 sessions to build up a nice base, any more than that is dependent on skin type. please dont get scaremongered, have a look on sunbed association for more information. xoxo

I don't necessarily think it is scaremongering or a band wagon. You will have a differing and pro sunbed opinion because you work with them in your business.

In some cases it can go from getting a base tan before you go to topping up the tan when you get back, good for business but not necessarily the skin.

I was silly with them in my youth, not addicted but went a couple of times a week, I didn't know any better back in the day, I would not go near them now but that is just my opinion now as an aesthetician. I have at least 6 friends who have had skin cancer, not all related to sunbeds but as you say the sun is everywhere. I also have massage clients come in all the time that have had lesions removed, I just think you have to be careful all round.

Hopefully the OP can make her own mind up with balanced views from both sides.

 

[EmJ]

Definitely I would. It is ALOT worse for you to go on holiday and for your skin to burn. I always prepare my skin with a sunbed or 2.

 

[xxAmyxx]

The sun and sun beds are as bad as each other x