The Ultimate How To Men’s Tanning Guide for Getting a Tan

Pale skin suits most men, but some guys just want that tanned appearance that gives off a radiant glow. Yet tanning itself is no different than hitting the gym for bodybuilding, washing and moisturizing your face, or even getting a haircut. All of these things are the same as guys all are ultimately doing it for one reason, to improve their appearance.

Some men aren’t too enthusiastic or confident about the idea of hitting the tanning bed, but it’s something that can be done without seeking male approval. In fact, if you ask any girl working at a tanning salon, you’ll find that more than half of their clients are men. Most of these men start tanning before the summer arrives or right before they head out onto a tropical beachside vacation to avoid burning their skin up.

However if you’re interested in staying tan year-round, you can also easily tan in the winter as well. And it’s easy to see why you would want to because aside from getting a darker skin tone, it also helps clear up things like eczema and acne, provides a significant dose of Vitamin D, and might even boost your self-esteem.

Best Practices and How To Tan at the Tanning Bed

For tanning beds and days out in the sun on the beach, you’ll want to follow a few of these straightforward secrets to getting the perfect tan every time. Before you get up to go get tanned try and hit the gym for a session to get your blood circulation. You’ll want to head over after while your blood circulation is still high.

Remember to exfoliate your entire body the day before hitting the tanning bed or sun. The benefit of this is it removes all of the dead skin cells, not to mention it also helps your skin avoid peeling after you tan.

You’ll also want to rub in cocoa butter (see some on Amazon here), reef tan oil, or any tanning lotion before getting any rays. Afterward, remember to always moisture and exfoliate as it will help your skin heal and retain moisture.

Increase your vitamin D intake the same day you go to the tanning bed, usually double for the best effects. For a better tan shave your body as grooming will remove the barrier between your skin and the sun, and allow for a darker more distinctive tan. When first starting off be careful about the time spent in the tanning bed so you don’t burn your skin.

A good tanning routine for men starting off would be three times a week with six minutes per session. Avoid taking a shower immediately after you tan, and if you feel the need to do so avoid detergents and wash only with water. Why? Because as you tan Vitamin D collects on the skin’s upper layers, and when you take a shower it will remove it before it can soak in deeper.

For the best practice, don’t use soap for the next 48 hours when in the shower. And while this might sound a bit odd or even a little unhealthy there’s quite a bit of science supporting it. Because when you tan, UVB hits your skin and converts a cholesterol derivative into Vitamin D3.

After this happens the Vitamin D3 collects on the surface of your skin’s upper layer and isn’t absorbed into the bloodstream for up to 48 hours. What this means is if you happen to shower with soap you’ll be washing away all of that wonderful Vitamin D3 away.

Self Tanning and Spray Tanning for Men

Now if you’ve been avoiding the tanning bed for health or even personal preference, self-tanning is definitely the way to go. The process is relatively simple and straightforward, and it involves spraying on DHA or (dihydroxyacetone), which is basically a chemical that dyes your dead skin cells. As well it comes in two forms so you can choose between the water-based or the oil-based. A good self-tanner is this one from Beauty by Earth.

Some tanning salons even have mists with different levels of darkness, so make sure you choose the right level so you don’t end up with an unrealistic skin appearance. Yet going back to the DHA dye, it will affect the amount of time your skin will stay tan for. Keep in mind that as your skin sheds or peels off as it normally does over time, you’ll lose your tan.

Typically you’ll get anywhere from five to ten days of darkness with the optimal color before it wears off. However you can attempt to extend this by using a moisturizer so your skin’s top layer doesn’t shed away so fast.

Yet, at some point you may want to try using a self tanner, which also uses DHA so it’s the same application as getting a spray tan. And while applying it yourself might seem like a daunting task due to the countless products and fear of becoming orange there’s only a few steps required to getting it right the first time.

To start you’ll want to do the same things as you would if you were going to the tanning bed or getting a spray tan. Remember to clean and exfoliate your skin at least the day before to ensure you’ve removed any skin that’s flaking off. By doing so you’ll eliminate the risk of having streaks, not to mention as we already covered, your tan will last much longer.

Perhaps the biggest point to take from this is to make sure you hit all the rough areas on the body such as the: elbows, knees, ankles and feet. As well, always remember to try your first self tanner product on a small area of your body, to ensure it will end up with the correct appearance. Sure you might have to wait 24 hours to complete the first test, but at least you’ll save yourself from the embarrassment after you’ve applied it to your face or entire body.

Once you’ve picked the right self tanning product and can confirm it works on a small area of the body, you’ll want to cover everything this time. With a gentle and slow motion rub the spray, gel, or cream into your skin.

Don’t rush or try to push it into your skin as deep as possible, relax and it will all get absorbed as you message it into your skin. As well, don’t worry if you cover the same spot more than once, that’s perfectly fine and won’t affect anything. And if by chance you happen to have a lot of hair on your body or neglected to shave, make sure you spend enough time getting everything absorbed evenly in those areas.

Ah the finish line! So you have applied the self tanner to your entire body, so what happens next? Well you’ll want to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes before throwing all your clothes back on.

After you’ve gone past that time frame, try to wear clothes that are not tight fitting such as gym shorts or loose t-shirts. However do not worry about the product getting on your clothes, as the majority of self tanner products tend to not smear after they are absorbed. And if you’re planning to shower or take a dip into the pool just make sure you’ve taken enough time for it to absorb.