Safe tanning means, among other things: allowing your skin to get used to the UV radiation. A tanning program usually consists of a course of ten exposures. You can determine the duration of each exposure by referring to the column for your skin type in the table below.
You do not necessarily have to follow this table when sunbathing, it acts as a guide. However, do monitor the way your skin reacts as this is the real indicator. Limit the exposure time to avoid getting a sunburn (skin erythema). If erythema appears hours after any exposure, it is advised to cease tanning for one week and restart the exposures from the beginning of the exposure table.
Instead of following a program, you could also opt to use a tanning appliance every now and then to maintain your tan. It is important, though, that you do not exceed the maximum recommended number of sessions per year.
●● For this appliance, the maximum is 20 tanning hours (=1200 minutes) a year.
Of course, the maximum number of tanning hours applies to each separate part or side of the body that is tanned (e.g. the back and front of the body).
Note: Allow at least 48 hours between the first and second exposure. If unexpected side effects, such as itching, occur within these 48 hours, medical advise should be sought before continuing with the next session.
Example
Suppose you take a 10-day tanning course, with an 8-minute session on the first day and a 20-minute session on the nine following days.
The entire course then lasts (1 x 8 minutes) + (9 x 20 minutes) = 188 minutes.
In one year you can take 6 of these courses, as 6 x 188 minutes = 1128 minutes.
Table
As is shown in the table, the first session of a tanning course should always last 8 minutes, irrespective of the sensitivity of the skin. If you think that the sessions are too long for you (e.g. if the skin gets taut and tender after the session), we advise you to reduce the length of the sessions by e.g. 5 minutes.
Note: For a beautiful, even tan, turn your face to the left and right from time to time during the session so that the sides of the face are better exposed to the tanning light.
Note: If your skin feels slightly taut after tanning, you can apply a moisturising cream.
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