It is a common conception, especially in the south, that you look better if you are tan. Personally, I can't tan very well naturally because I'm a redhead. But with prom and spring break coming up, everyone wants to look good. However, no one wants to get burnt or put their health at risk.

Sunbathing

The obvious way to get a tan is, of course, to just go outside in the sun. However, this can cause you to get burnt and look like a lobster. If you do get sunburnt, there are a few things that you need to do: stay out of the sun, drink a lot of water, apply aloe, and hope that you don’t peel. Sunbathing can also take hours of laying out, which many people don’t have enough time for. If you are laying out for hours, make sure you are using sunscreen with a strong enough SPF and reapply your sunscreen every few hours to prevent sunburns. A misconception is that the hotter it is, the stronger the UV rays are, but that is not true. One way to check the UV rays is an app called “Ultraviolet” which uses your location to tell you the UV index in your area; it also tells you what SPF you should be using and how long you should stay in the sun.

Self Tanners

A self-tanner can be a healthier alternative to sunbathing. However, self-tanners are less effective due to the likelihood that your tan will come out uneven. It can also make you look like an orange. The best brand I have used is Loving Tan; they have a wide variety of products from bronzing lotion to two-hour self-tanner. However, it is pretty expensive, with one bottle of self-tanner costing $59.99. A downside of self-tanning lotion is that it can be expensive and also takes a lot of time. Some take multiple days of application, while others are just thick and take a long time to apply with the glove. Some brands supply you with a glove so that your hand isn’t ten shades darker than your body, but not all brands do. Unlike a real tan, self-tanners can also leave your clothes, and possibly your sheets, to turn orange. A benefit of self-tanners is that you won’t get sunburnt.

Spray Tans

Spray tans, like self-tanners, allow you to get tan without the risk of getting sunburn. However, it can be expensive and can also cause you to stain your clothes or become an orange. Spray tanning takes the least time to get done, but it takes around an hour before you can shower and put on regular clothes. Palm Beach Tan is a great place to get spray tans; the staff is nice, and it isn’t expensive.

Tanning Beds

Tanning beds are a quick way to get a tan; however, it can be very dangerous to your skin. They can cause premature aging like wrinkles and brown spots. It can also cause skin cancer. People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75 percent (according to skincancer.org).

If you are looking for a short-term tan, then a spray-tan is the way to go, but if you are looking for something longer lasting, then sunbathing or tanning beds are the better option. If you are on a time crunch, then tanning beds are probably the best option. However, spray tans are the healthiest in that you won’t get any sun damage, but a little sun is good for your body, so sunbathing, as long as you do it properly, is healthy.