Best Time To Tan

Achieving a beautiful tan is a desirable goal for many people, but it’s important to do it safely. So what’s the best time to get a tan so you don’t put your health at risk? In this article, we’ll look at the best time to tan, taking into account factors such as your skin type, location, and time of year. So, if you’re ready for a safe time in the sun, let’s find out when is the best time to tan!

How UV radiation affects health

Each ultraviolet ray can affect a person and their immune system in different ways. Radiation is used in medicine and cosmetology. For example, ultraviolet light affects the formation of vitamin D, which is necessary to strengthen bone tissue. In addition, sunlight can have a positive effect on the human nervous system, metabolism and tissue repair.

Among other things, it is summer when the body produces the most endorphins – the hormone of happiness. For this, too, we can thank the sun. Also ultraviolet rays can help the body to produce antibodies, which is so necessary during coronavirus infection.

However, spending a long time in the sun is fraught with unpleasant consequences. Ultraviolet radiation actively affects the skin, eyes and immunity. While an acceptable amount of sunlight allows the body to better protect itself from attacking viruses, significant doses of radiation can, on the contrary, lead to immune system malfunction.

This provokes the development of cancer, among which is one of the rather aggressive forms of cancer – melanoma. In this case we can safely say that tanning becomes fatal.

If you stay under the scorching sun for longer than allowed, you can also get burns, erythema – severe redness of the skin. Rapid fatigue, headaches, and irritability are also unavoidable. In addition, a person constantly exposed to the sun exposes his eyes to serious danger. For example, without UV protection, a person may face acute retinitis and cataracts, and so up to blindness is not far away.

The sun also contributes to the approach of the moment of aging. Radiation destroys the halogen fibers in the skin, so it quickly begins to lose elasticity. This is the argument against topless tanning. A fully bronzed body, of course, will please its owner, but not for long. All wrinkles, which appeared thanks to the sun, will stay forever. Mammalogists especially recommend women to protect their breasts from the destructive rays of the sun.

Ultraviolet: benefits and harms

Tanning is the skin’s protective response to intense ultraviolet exposure.

Only moderate sunlight can benefit the body, namely:

• Metabolism is normalized, allowing for timely absorption of beneficial vitamins and trace elements from food.
• Sunlight can cure certain types of skin diseases, such as drying up acne and suspending the inflammatory process.
• Activates the synthesis of hormones that are responsible for the stable functioning of internal organs.
• Mood and general well-being are improved, the body is filled with vital energy, which helps to fight stress and nervous tension.
• Vitamin D is synthesized, which is necessary for the absorption of phosphorus and calcium from food.

Intense sun exposure can be harmful to the body:

• Prolonged exposure to the sun can lead to sunburn, pigmentation, freckles and moles.
• It is the ultraviolet rays that are the main cause of malignant tumors.
• Existing or latent diseases may worsen under the influence of the heat. People with hypertension or heart disease are at risk.
• The sun causes your skin to age prematurely. Skin cells rapidly lose moisture, begin to die off, which leads to wrinkles.
• Hair becomes brittle and dull, begins to separate and fall out.

With little cloudy weather and saturated sunlight, first, it is very easy to get burnt, and second, to get a very high dose of ultraviolet radiation. If the ultraviolet index exceeds 6, it is dangerous.

Ultraviolet Index is a standard developed by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Program, and the World Meteorological Organization. It ranges from 0 to 11 or more points, from safe to the most dangerous level. The closer to the equator, the higher the UV index, so in mid-latitudes it usually reaches 6-7 during the hottest summer months of June and July.

But the index depends on many factors: sun altitude, latitude, weather. One of the main ones is the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere; it can vary over the course of a year, a month and a single day. Because of the thinning of the ozone layer, exposure to ultraviolet light has increased, leading to certain diseases.

Small amounts of sunshine are good for health and play an important role in vitamin D production. But the line between useful and harmful is thin: Radiation can lead to skin cancer and aging (melanoma and carcinoma), diseases and eye tumors (cataract, pterygium, corneal or conjunctival carcinoma). In addition, it significantly reduces immunity: if you have herpes on your lip in summer, you should think about additional protection from the sun.

People with blue eyes, light skin, and lots of moles are at risk. Especially children are vulnerable: they can not be for a long time in the heat on the street – in the future may develop cancer. The mechanisms of this phenomenon have not yet been studied, but scientists believe that children’s skin is more sensitive to ultraviolet light.

The most common misconception is that UV radiation is dangerous only on a cloudless day. Indeed, on a clear day the rays will reach the ground faster, but clouds only slow down their harmful effects. UV waves pass through them and are reflected by various surfaces, so concentrations can still be high. Shade won’t help, either, because of its ability to reflect – ultraviolet can get to your skin through water or sand, for example.

How long you can stay in the sun

You should not stay in the sun for a long time – your skin should be prepared for sunbathing. The first time you sunbathe for no more than 15 minutes, increasing the amount of time you spend in the sun each day. We are talking only about the hours before noon and after five in the evening.

If, however, you are exposed to the sun during a period of time that is not recommended for sunbathing for some reason, it is necessary to use sunscreen with a high SPF – 50+. It is important to renew the cream every two hours, because its properties diminish over time and do not provide adequate protection even if you feel it.

How long should you sunbathe for the first time

How long can you sunbathe when you first start sunbathing? In the first days at the beach under the sun it is recommended to spend half an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening to allow the body to adapt. Therefore, the answer to the question of how long to sunbathe for the first time, the answer is not long, half an hour or an hour. If the heat is strong, you risk overheating, and the consequences of heat stroke are not pleasant.

On the second day you can sunbathe for a longer time – an hour in the morning, an hour and a half or two hours in the evening. Abruptly increasing the dose of sunlight is not necessary. Your body is still in the process of adjusting to the temperature.

On the third day, you can sunbathe for a couple of hours in the morning and the same number of hours in the evening. If you are pale-skinned, the time should be reduced by half an hour, if your body is originally swarthy – increase by the same amount.

You can take short sunbathes, sunbathe briefly – even fifteen to twenty in the sun at a safe time will be good for the skin. The sun’s rays form vitamin D in it, which can only be synthesized in this way.

To tan in the sun, it is better to tan standing up. In this position, the tan is evenly applied to the skin. Lying or sitting is possible, but it is necessary to change position. Swimsuit should be chosen so that there are not too many visible tan lines, it is not pretty. You should sunbathe for the first time in the sun with your hair in a bun, not to permanently wear a hat or a panama with big fields, covering your face – it will remain pale. And to make your tan lie more even and last longer, use a special diet for tanning.

How much sun you should tan: a guide to skin types

Skin phototypes are the degree of sensitivity of the epidermis to the sun. It is determined by certain characteristics, it determines the optimal time to stay in the sun.

1. The first phototype – people with light eyes (blue, green, gray), skin – transparent, freckles possible, hair red or light blond. This type of person does not sunbathe, it is more likely to get burnt, and literally in 5 minutes after the stay under the direct sun. Therefore, the beaches of the first prototype are not recommended – better self-tanning. If you really want to go out in the sun, you need a cream with a high spf – from 30 to 60.
2. The second prototype – gray or brown eyes, blond or light hair and pale skin. When exposed to the sun, the skin usually turns red, then there is a light tan. The risk of getting burnt is still high, the tan itself is laid heavily, the first time of staying in the sun – 10-20 minutes. They can protect themselves from sunburns by using protection means with SPF 25-30, and at the beginning of the summer season it is advisable to use a higher level of protection (SPF 30-50).
3. The third phototype – brown eyes, dark brown or brown hair, and darkish skin. These people do not get burnt at all – skin darkens immediately, one can stay in the sun for 20-30 minutes without protection, but there is still a small risk of getting burnt. For this skin type it is recommended to use products with SPF 15-25.
4. The fourth phototype – very dark eyes, black hair, dark skin. These people will burn only if they sit in the hot sun for five hours in a row. Skin quickly becomes bronze in color, protective equipment is not necessary, but it should be remembered that sitting on the beach for a long time dries out the skin, dehydrates it. These people can afford to tan more and with a smaller filter of protection – less than SPF 25.
5. The fifth phototype – dark or dark brown skin; dark brown or black hair; dark brown or almost black eyes. This is the skin phototype of Asian people who tan easily, can be in the sun without sunburns for almost unlimited time. But they also need to use protective equipment – with SPF 5-10.
6. The sixth phototype – dark, almost black skin; black hair; black-brown eyes. This is the skin type of African people who practically cannot get burned in the sun. However, even they need to use products with filters – with a minimum SPF 5 protection.

Time spent in the sun

You should stick to a safe time in order to get a beautiful tan without sunburns and pigmentation. It is recommended to start with 20 minutes a day to allow the skin to adapt to the intense UV exposure.

With each day, you can gradually increase the sun exposure time by a few minutes, bringing it up to 2 hours a day.

The best time to tan in the sun

Tanning occurs as a result of exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays. In small doses, ultraviolet light is good for humans – it participates in the formation of vitamin D and endorphins, the hormone of joy. But when you get too much UV light, you’re in trouble.

So how do you know when your skin is getting enough and when it’s getting too much? The truth is that the sun sends varying amounts of UV rays down to our planet during the day. The most rays reach the Earth during the day, when the sun is at its zenith. You should not sunbathe during these hours, as the body can get too much ultraviolet.

Experts identify two periods for safe sunbathing – before 11 o’clock and after 16 o’clock. It was at this time allocated an acceptable dose of ultraviolet radiation. Of course, if you tan only in the morning and evening, the skin will not gain a beautiful color immediately, but the chocolate color will be preserved for a long time.

Although the morning and evening hours are safe, it does not mean that you can lie on the beach all the time. Doctors believe that you can sunbathe for no more than two hours a day. But go at it gradually. On the first day, lie in the sun for no more than 20 minutes, and then this time can be increased by about 10 minutes daily.

Do not forget about the temperature. If it exceeds 77 °F, then the tanning, even in the morning and evening hours will not be safe – there is a risk of heat stroke. While in places with a very hot climate, spend no more than 5 minutes a day in the sun.

The safe hours do not depend on the country you are in, they are the same everywhere. But if you are vacationing by the sea, it is especially important to be careful. The cool breeze from the water can conceal how hot the air is, so watch what time you’re sunbathing and how many minutes you lie in the sun.

The presence of clouds doesn’t make it safe to tan either. The fact is that ultraviolet rays do not linger in the clouds, but calmly pass through them. You don’t feel the heat, which can give you the illusion that it’s safe to tan. In fact, it is not. No matter what the weather conditions, sunbathe before 11 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Even if there are clouds in the sky, you should not sunbathe during the daytime hours.

The dangers of daytime tanning

Sunbathing during the daytime is much more dangerous than it may seem. The first and most obvious reason is the quality of the tan. At the peak of the sun’s activity, there is a great possibility of getting burnt. The skin will redden and peel off, and the tan will not last long. Sunburns are very harmful to the skin. It will age faster, pigment spots may appear, and the risk of cancer increases.

In addition to sunburn, you can easily get sunstroke during the day (the hottest) hours, which manifests itself in nausea, lethargy, headache, heaviness in the chest, sometimes even fainting.

The safest tanning hours

You should avoid dangerous tanning hours in order to get an even, chocolate-colored skin tone without sunburn, moles, pigmentation and malignancies. Sunbathing is allowed before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. This is especially true for people with white skin prone to irritation and sunburn. People with dark skin are allowed to sunbathe until 11 am and after 4 pm. People with any skin type may not be on the beach at lunchtime.

Remember that intense exposure to sunlight leads to premature skin aging and the development of malignant tumors.

How long is it allowed to sunbathe

There is a concept of dangerous and safe times for sunbathing. From 12 to 15 pm – the peak of solar activity, it is the most dangerous, you get burnt most easily. On the day you can sunbathe until 12 am and after 4 pm. If the climate is hot, then from 11-30 to 16-00 do not appear on the beach.

The optimal time of day to sunbathe is from 8 to 10 am, from 5 pm until sunset. How many hours can I sunbathe at this time? Doctors recommend no more than a few hours a day.

You can get an even tan in the shade or while playing active sports on the beach – volleyball, basketball, badminton.

You can sunbathe for three to four hours a day, which is the optimal amount of time to get an even body color, without overheating, stress, or heat stroke. The total time spent in the sun depends on location, weather, and time zone. Therefore, when traveling abroad, you should start to go to the beach with caution; if it is a hot place with humid air, you should wait for acclimatization.

If you have symptoms of colds, sleeping disorders, symptoms of heat stroke, poisoning, increased fatigue – do not rush to the beach. Let your body get used to the new climate, weather, sun and air.

4 rules of safe sunbathing

1. Prepare for tanning in advance

Scientists have proved that sunlight helps to produce vitamin D, which boosts immunity and mood. Well, to get a better tan on your skin, you’ll need other vitamins. First of all, vitamin A. Its positive effect on the skin, including its pigmentation, has long been known.

In addition, vitamins C, E and A are powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals produced in the skin under the influence of UV radiation. The action of these free radicals leads to premature aging, hyperpigmentation and skin cancer. Antioxidants are precisely designed to counteract these dangerous effects.

So if you’re planning on getting the best tan you can without harming your health, take these vitamins and include carrots, tomatoes, apricots, citrus fruits, seafood and spinach in your diet.

Carrot juice is high in beta-carotene, a pigment that, like melanin, is deposited in the skin and can give it a yellowish hue. That way, it can better prepare your skin for the sun. But keep in mind that beta-carotene deposition is not a tan.

2. Protect your skin even in the water

The water surface reflects the sun’s rays, which means that your chances of getting a tan near a pool or body of water are many times greater. But with that comes an increased risk of sunburn. Sand, concrete, and even snow also reflect more than half of the sun’s rays, which then penetrate the skin.

Use water-resistant protective products. Thanks to special water-repellent ingredients, these products will effectively protect your skin while you’re swimming, too.

Try not to stay in the water for too long, and reapply when out on dry land. Wipe your skin thoroughly after swimming, as water droplets left on your skin like micro-loupes amplify the sunlight, which can also cause burns and damage.

3. Pick up sunscreen

To reduce the negative effects of the sun on our skin, we first need a strategic stock of sunscreen with a high SPF. SPF is a sun protection factor that is calculated on the basis of the minimum erythemal dose, that is, the time of sun exposure, after which redness occurs on the skin.

Naturally, for each skin type and shade this indicator will be individual: for blondes and redheads SPF is required at least 25-30, and for brunettes – 15-20. The closer to the equator, the higher SPF level is worth choosing – 50-60.

Many women with dark skin consider that they do not need sun protection at all, as their skin already has a dark tone, which means that they do not risk getting burnt. True, they are by nature more protected from B-rays (those that cause sunburn).

But skin tone does not protect from dangerous rays of groups A and C that provoke premature aging and cancer, and it is impossible to do without SPF-factor compensators.

Choosing a sunscreen, pay attention not only to your skin’s natural tone, but also take into consideration how long you are going to stay on the beach or in the street. After all, the level of SPF-protection you need is also affected by the time of exposure.

If you plan to spend an hour or two on the beach, you should choose a product with a higher SPF level.

It’s just as important to choose the right texture. If you use protective creams in the winter as well, you may need to buy a new tube in the summer. Winter products can be too hard on your skin during the warmer months. Those who have oily or acne-prone skin should switch to lighter, non-greasy gels and fluids.

If your skin is dry, you can use a cream that combines moisturizing and protective properties. Well, if you have sensitive skin, you should not choose products that contain chemical sunscreens (substances that absorb light and come into contact with the skin). They are quite allergic and can cause irritation.

In that case, it is best to protect your skin with physical sunscreens which create a reflective screen, or apply a product with physical protection underneath the chemical protection.

SPF products should be applied to the skin 15-20 minutes before going outdoors. Do not forget to cover your shoulders under the straps of your swimsuit, your ears and neck. Repeat the procedure every two hours, as the cream rubs off on your clothes and towel.

• Protect your eyes with dark glasses, and wear a wide-brimmed hat or headscarf to protect your hair.
• After sunbathing, try not to eat immediately, especially fatty and spicy food, because the overheated body will be very difficult to digest.
• Drink enough still water.

4. Take care of special areas of the body

On our skin, there are certain areas that should be treated with extra caution, and you should keep them out of the sun whenever possible. So, if you have many birthmarks on your body, you should be careful, because under the influence of UV rays they can grow into a malignant tumor – melanoma.

The presence of moles, or nevi, as they are called by doctors, should not bother you, but it is worth periodically examining them for changes. There are several ways to tell if a mole is dangerous.

If it changes size, is irregularly colored or has an irregular shape, you should consult a dermatologist and oncologist before going to the beach.

To protect moles and age spots from UV rays, sunscreens with a maximum SPF 50+ or creams marked “Sunblock” should be used topically. If you don’t have a sunblock on hand, a piece of tape cut to the shape of your mole may help.

Unlike nevi, scars are unlikely to be damaged by the sun, but they cannot be discolored. After all, they are made up of connective tissue, whose fibers do not contain pigment cells. So, unfortunately, against the backdrop of tanned skin, the scars will only become more noticeable.

Who can’t tan in the sun?

First of all, people with allergic reactions to the sun. Or, scientifically speaking, those who suffer from polymorphic sun dermatitis and solar urticaria. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, such people get itchy rashes.

Drugs with a photosensitizing effect make the skin more vulnerable to harmful UV exposure. The range of such drugs is quite wide: from decoction of St. John’s wort to some contraceptives and antibiotics. If you are taking pills, consult your doctor before going on vacation.

The list of those who should not sunbathe can be extended. It includes:

• Pregnant women;
• Infants under 3 months, and ideally, children under 3 years of age;
• People with cancer;
• People with many small and large moles on the body.

Is it safe to tan without sunscreen?

The question of how to properly tan in a solarium or on a beach to quickly become “chocolate”, worries many people. But it is a bad idea to refuse sunscreen for the sake of getting a tan as soon as possible. Doctors do not recommend getting a tan without sunscreen, as it may lead to sunburns and possibly even skin cancer. It is necessary to choose means with SPF carefully in summer. It depends on your phototype.

On freckles can be applied a cream against pigmentation, which can also contain a UV-filter. But, honestly, the most correct answer to the question of how to properly tan and get a tan in a tanning bed or on the beach – no way! Snow-whites are better off using auto-bronzants and not experimenting with sunbathing.

In conclusion, determining the best time to tan is a matter of personal preference and depends on many factors, such as skin type, geographic location and time of day. It’s important to always protect your skin from harmful UV rays by using sunscreen and limiting exposure to direct sunlight during peak hours. Ultimately, the key to getting a healthy and natural tan is to take a gradual approach and listen to your body’s signals. By following these tips and tricks, you can enjoy the benefits of tanning and minimize the risk of skin damage.

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