Nowadays, tanning isn’t only meant for ladies, even guys also want to have that bronze body that is admired by everyone. Getting a tanned body for some of the men is very appealing, but it can be difficult to find tanning tips for guys because men started tanning a bit later after women.
Tanning for guys is just the same as hitting the gym for a good workout, Washing and moisturizing your face or even getting a haircut because these are all things a guy would do to improve your appearance. Some men aren’t very confident about using the tanning beds, but there is a growing number of men visiting the tanning salons especially before summer arrives to get that bronze body ready to hit the beach. If you want to stay tanned all year round, you can also tan in the winter.
A tan will not only give you a dark skin tone, but it can also help clear your acne or eczema, increase your dose of vitamin D, and even boost your confidence.
Here are some tanning tips for guys to give you a better-looking body without having any side effects.
Outdoor Tanning Tips
If you’re looking to get that dark-toned skin the natural way, basking in the sun is the best. Most men are fond of spending their time outdoors which makes outdoor tanning a better choice than indoor tanning. Here is how you can do this safely.
Exfoliate
When you exfoliate, you remove or scrub off all the dead cells on your skin. This is the first step in even tanning process that you should never ignore because without cleansing your skin, all your tanning efforts will be in vain. So before soaking in the sun, clear your skin.
Shave
If you have hair in your body, you need to have a complete shave to remove all the hair on your body. This will help you achieve better and more distinctive results with your tan.
Use sunscreen
Different sunscreens have different SPF ranges depending on your skin type. If you find your skin hard to tan, but you get burnt faster, you need an SPF with a higher range. Sunscreen will help to block the harmful sun’s rays from your skin, but you still get tanned. Too much exposure to the sun can give you a sunburn or worse side effects like skin cancer. So you need to be extra careful if you’re sensitive to the sun.
Check our guide to find the best sunscreen for tanning.
Identify what suits you
Everyone has a different skin type and texture, and not everyone wants a base tan so you need to do your research to find out what suits you. Using the wrong tanning lotion or moisturizer can be harmful to your skin which can lead to an allergic reaction. So when you go shopping, don’t just pick the next sunscreen or tanning lotion you see on the shelf.
Get an outdoor tanning lotion, oil, or spray
A tanning lotion or bronzer that suits your skin type and texture is very important. If you have rough or normal skin, you need one that keeps your skin well moisturized. If you opt to use tanning oil, it will give you a quicker tan and also keep your skin hydrated throughout the tanning process. It’s also good if you want a base tan. You can also get a quality tanning lotion if you’re just starting your tanning journey, but ensure it’s designed for men.
Wear eye protection
We all know the consequences on your skin when you expose it to too much sunlight. Wearing sunscreen will help to protect your skin, but you also need to protect your eyes from direct sunlight. You can use an umbrella to reflect the glare of the sun which helps to regulate the time you spend under the sun or wear eye protection.
Take a cool shower
Taking a cool shower after spending hours in the sun is a great way of soothing your skin. You can take a refreshing shower or bathe after 4-6 hours after tanning as a way of helping your body recover from the tanning process.
Indoor Tanning Tips
Not everyone wants to spend hours in the sun, so you can opt to use tanning beds to achieve the same results with your tan. With indoor tanning, you have more control of the time and the kind of tan you want, and you get to have a bronze look in a shorter time.
Exfoliate
This is always the first step if you want to get the best results. Ensure that you exfoliate at least 24 hours before you use a tanning bed to prevent dead skin from peeing off.
Soak in some vitamin D
In the 24 hours before you go for your tanning bed appointment, you should soak in some vitamin D to help give your skin a more consistent complexion.
Buy a quality indoor tanning lotion
If you don’t want your skin to feel burnt up and dry after your session, you should use a good tanning lotion that will keep your skin moisturized to help prevent your skin from losing its essential nutrients and vitamins.
Be careful with the time you spend in the tanning bed
Different skin types handle exposure to UV light differently, so if you’re a first-time tanner, have a fair complexion, or have a base tan, you should take it slow. To begin with, spend about 10 minutes in the tanning bed, then keep increasing the time as you go till you’re comfortable with it. You can also seek the help of the tanning experts to help guide you through on how to safely tan in a tanning bed depending on your skin type and texture.
Use the goggles
You need to wear the tanning goggles to help protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays. You should also ensure you don’t spend too much time in the tanning bed as it can give you a nasty burn.
Use a tan extender
Your tan will even look better if you use a tan extender. This kind of lotion will help to preserve and maintain your tan. A good combination would be like when you use a shampoo and conditioner.
Avoid using soap for 48 hours
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t shower, but avoid using soap before 48 hours because when you tan vitamin D3 collects on the surface of your upper skin layer and it’s not absorbed into your bloodstream for up to 48 hours. So if you take a shower with soap, you will wash away all the vitamin D3 on your skin.
Sunless Tanning Tips
The name gives it away as this doesn’t involve using the sun in any way, naturally or artificially. This is the best tanning method if you don’t have the time to spend under the sun or in a tanning bed. This method comes with its advantages and since we all know how harmful it is to overexpose your skin to artificial light in a tanning bed or natural sunlight. If you’re a guy who wants a safe way of achieving that bronze color, self-tanning is the way to go. The ingredients in the self-tanning lotions and creams will help your skin produce melanin to give you that tanned look.
Here are the rules you need to follow:
Take a shower and exfoliate
In every method of tanning, you must wash your skin properly to remove all the dirt and oil on your skin. Exfoliating makes it easier for the self-tanner or tanning lotion to penetrate your skin and give you better results. This will remove the dead skin that will flake later and pay more attention to your elbows, ankles, knees, and feet.
In case, you go for spray tan. You can check this guide that will walk you through the proccess.
Should you shower before or after spray tan.
Moisturize
This is a very important step especially if you tend to have rough and dry skin. If you find your skin getting dry easily, you need to apply a moisturizer before you use the self-tanner to avoid having flaky skin or an uneven tan with blotches.
Use a quality self-tanner
You shouldn’t just buy any self-tanner you find online, you should get a long lasting self tanner so you can save yourself the trouble of having an uneven fake-looking tan and get the best results.
Use a lotion with a good SPF protection
Although you’re tanning without the sun, you still need to protect your skin especially if you’re planning on going outside. Nowadays, most self-tanners available have SPF protection, so you can pick the one that suits your skin type and texture. These lotions will help extend the life of your spray tan so you get to enjoy your beautiful tan for longer.
Final thoughts
Now that you have some useful and actionable tanning tips for guys, you can now choose which tanning method suits you best and get the best out of your tanning experience. However, you need to remember that you should always exfoliate if you want an even tan and use a sunscreen with a good SPF to protect your skin from the harmful UV light.
Here are some fun and informative videos on men’s tanning.