What is Your Skin Type and How Does This Affect Tanning?

As we all know, too much ultra violet light is very dangerous. On the opposite side, too little ultra violet light is not good either. There have been numerous studies that show vitamin d deficiencies actually cause cancers. The key to having a healthy tan is moderation. In order to find the correct balance of ultra violet light (or tanning), one must first start with understanding your own skin’s sensitivity to UV light. This is known as your skin type. Having a good understanding of your specific skin type will help optimize your tanning results and make sure you are getting not too little or too much UV exposure. The basic rule of thumb is that the lighter your skin, the less you should expose it to UV light. This does not only apply for indoor tanning but also for natural sunlight outdoors.

Skin Types:

I. This is the palest of skins. You cannot tan without burning if you are a Skin Type I. Skin Type I persons usually have red or blond hair and blue eyes. DO NOT UV TAN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! It is recommended that if you need some color for a special event coming up that you try Sunless Spray Tanning. This will give you a natural looking tan for 7-10 days without the risks of UV light on such fair skin. It is important that you only choose the lightest color available. If you choose a medium or dark spray tan, your tan will look unnatural since you will probably only turn orange.

II. If you are a Skin Type II, your skin will sunburn easily but can develop a tan. Although this Skin Type will develop a tan, it will take longer and it is important to avoid overexposure. You most likely have blond to medium brown hair color and blue, green or grey eyes. If you were looking for a darker color, the best way to achieve it would be to rotate between sun beds and sunless spray tanning. For the initial UV tan visit, we would recommend only going up to 33% of tanning unit’s maximum minutes. For spray tanning, we recommend the light setting. Once you develop a darker tan, you can select medium setting.

III. Skin Type III is the most common skin type in North America. You can tan easily but can still sunburn. Because this Skin Type can still sunburn easily, overexposure is still highly possible. Hair color is typically dark with green or light brown eyes. The initial UV tan would be no more than 40-45% of tanning unit’s maximum minutes. If you choose spray tanning, go for it. You will look great at any color setting.

IV. For someone with a Skin Type IV, they will almost never burn and tan very easily. Although a Skin Type IV can tan easily, they are still susceptible to overexposure. Usually have dark brown or black hair and dark brown eyes. The initial UV tan should not be for more than 50-55% of tanning unit’s maximum minutes. Spray tanning will look awesome!

V. A person with brownish skin that can tan while exposed to sunlight is a Skin Type V. They rarely sunburn, but have a slight chance of overexposure. Hair and skin color is black. Their first UV tan should not exceed 60-70% of tanning unit’s maximum tan time.

During your first visit to a Tanning Salon, make sure they are a member of local tanning association and have Smart Tan certified staff that will get you to fill out a Skin Type Quiz and will recommend your best option depending on prior tanning experience. After your initial tan, every time you come in the staff will recommend how long you should tan for and will help determine an exposure schedule that will help to achieve maximum color and avoid overexposure. Don’t forget to also try sunless spray tanning to enhance your UV color!