By MORGAN TARPLEY

mlt017@latech.edu

 

If students are leery about tanning beds and laying out in the sun, there are other ways to snag the sun-kissed look before hitting the pool or beach this summer.

With warm weather swiftly approaching, most students are thinking about having that golden glow with the help of tanning.

“Sunless tanning is much better than getting sun exposure outside or in a tanning bed,” Dr. Kimberly Lewis, a dermatologist at Dermatology Associates, Inc., located in the Glenwood Medical Center in West Monroe, said. “There have not been any cases of it causing skin cancer or any other medical conditions.”

Lewis said sunless tanning is a safe alternative if someone prefers the bronze look.

“Tanning beds are not safe because they do damage and increase the risk of skin cancer,” Lewis said. “Instead, someone can use artificial tanning products such as Mystic Tan or bronzing lotions to obtain a tan.”

Deborah Mobley, a medical assistant from Dermatology Associates, Inc., said one alternate tanning product she likes to use is tanning towels, which are disposable towels used to rub color into the skin.

“I ordered the towels off of a home-shopping network and they work really well,” Mobley said. “The tan fades after about a week, but it only takes a few minutes to take one of the wipes and keep the tan in place.”

Mobley said tanning butter is another sunless tanning product she has used and both products were gentle on her skin.

“The tanning butter didn’t streak or turn orange when I rubbed it in,” Mobley said. “Both products are not dangerous to my skin at all and I even use them on my face.”

Kelly Hayes, also a medical assistant at Dermatology Associates, Inc., said she has used Mystic Tanning, which involves getting in a booth and rotating to get sprayed all over your body with color.

“My face was completely tan, but my legs and arms were not an even color,” Hayes said. “I was not completely thrilled with the Mystic Tan, but I would give it another try to see if I get used to rotating correctly.”

Lewis said even if tanning beds are not used, sunless tanning products do not protect skin from sun exposure.

“Even if a person has a tan from spray-on tans or lotions, they still can burn,” Lewis said. “[Being tan] does not make you less sensitive to burning, so make sure sunscreen is still applied.”

Diana Anderson, an employee at Amberley’s, a tanning salon located at 1003 N. Trenton St., said the tanning salon offers a Healthy Choice spray-on tan, which is sprayed on by hand in two different coats.

“The spray-on tan we offer should last about a week,” Anderson said.

“Spray-on tans are a good option if you don’t want to go to a tanning bed, but you just want to have some color this time of year.”