 | Tammy Fredendall and Wendy Miles are Co-Owners of Purely Slender, LLC. Both are certified and licensed body wrap technicians and consultants. They have over 16 combined years of experience in the beauty and body contouring business. You may contact Tammy or Wendy at Purely Slender, 4425 W. Zoo Boulevard in Wichita, or by phone at (316) 946-0324. |
Health & Wellness
2005-08-01 16:15:00
The facts about ‘body bronzing’
: How does the sunless tanning procedure, ‘body bronzing’ work? Does it simply stain the skin?
ANSWER: Self-tanners and body bronzing are a great way to get that suntanned look without the damage of cumulative UVA and UVB exposure to the sun. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most effective products available are sunless- or self-tanning lotions that contain Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient. DHA, a colorless sugar cane derivative, has been used in sunless tanners since 1960. This DHA reacts with the amino acids found on the skin's epidermal layer. As the sugar interacts with the dead skin cells, a color change (brown skin) occurs. This change usually lasts about five to seven days from the initial application. The skin is made up of two main layers: the epidermis (outside layer) and the dermis (inside layer). Whether you are talking about sun tanning or self-tanning, the epidermis is where the action takes place. The epidermis is made up of layers. The deepest layer of the epidermis, called the stratum basale (basal layer), is affected during sun tanning. The stratum corneum (horny layer) is the outermost layer of the epidermis. This is the layer that is affected by most sunless-tanning products. Every day, millions of dead skin cells are sloughed off or worn away from the surface of your skin. In fact, every 35 to 45 days, you have an entirely new epidermis. This is why tans from sunless- or self-tanning lotions will gradually fade -- as the dead cells are worn away, so is your tan. For this reason, most of these products suggest that you reapply the sunless- or self-tanner about every three days to maintain your "tan." There are several different kinds of sunless-tanning products available today. People have been able to pour on an instant tan since 1960, when Coppertone® came out with the first sunless-tanning product - QT®. If you are old enough to remember this, then you are probably thinking of the incredibly orange hue this lotion produced. Since then, there have been several advancements made on the sunless-tanning front. These days, you can find tanning pills, sunless- or self-tanners and bronzers. You can smooth, swipe or spray on a light bronze glow or a deep, dark tan. Many of these products take 45 minutes to one hour to start taking effect, and once you factor in drying time, you could be looking at about three hours spent achieving that sun-free tan. It's important to remember that most sunless-tanning products, unless they contain an added sunscreen, will not protect you from the sun's UVA and UVB rays. Even some products that do contain a sunscreen won't be of much help, since they lose their efficacy within hours of application. When considering any sunless tanning, or body bronzing service, consult a professional. Many of the services offered by a professional will include complete (and even) exfoliation of the skin prior to, or as a part of the sunless tanning service, and they will be happy to talk with you about the services and products that not only provide you with an even, natural sunless glow, but also those that will help protect you from the natural sun's damaging rays.
