Excessive Sweat or Water Exposure: Excessive sweating, swimming, or showering can cause the tan to fade unevenly. Body Movements: Stretching, bending, or rubbing the skin can affect how evenly the product is distributed, especially in high-mobility areas like the joints.
Common reasons for patchy self-tanning include having products on the skin (perfume, deodorant, oil-based moisturizers, etc.) that can cause your tan to break down and fade unevenly.
A tan from being outside will last an average of 7–10 days. The sun's UV rays stimulate melanin production in the cells of the outer skin layer, so once these cells are shed, you are left with your original skin tone.
``Baking soda is highly effective when it comes to toning down your tan,'' says Dr. Solomon. ``Put some baking soda in a glass of water and stir until you make a paste-like mixture. Apply the paste on the tanned areas of your skin and remove after 15 minutes.
Evening them out usually takes time and a lot of patience, but it IS possible. You just need a nudge in the right direction and several neat tricks, and your skin's even tone will be fully restored.
EXFOLIATION. One of the best solutions for how to apply self tanner evenly is with some good old-fashioned exfoliation. Whether you're using a natural exfoliant like a brown sugar body scrub or you bought one designed specifically for evening out your tan, gently exfoliating your skin will have it glowing in no time.
Sun damage
This is the primary cause of an uneven skin tone, as sun exposure triggers melanin production to protect the skin. In the short term, this causes a tan to develop. In itself, any tan is an indication of skin damage. Over time, however, this sun damage can lead to brown spots and an uneven skin tone.
Why won't my tan go away? When the cells become damaged with pigment, discoloration that doesn't fade occurs, leading to a tan that doesn't fade. In fact, it tends to stay dark unless you choose to have this hyperpigmentation treated professionally.
Irregular or patchy discoloration of the skin can be caused by: Changes in melanin, a substance produced in the skin cells that gives skin its color. Growth of bacteria or other organisms on the skin. Blood vessel (vascular) changes.
Yes, a tan will naturally fade away due to the exfoliation of our skin. It may not be the nicest thing to think about, but the human skin sheds and then generates millions of cells everyday. When the tanned skin cells are replaced with new, untanned skin cells, your body will gradually return to its normal colour.
Suntan does eventually fade as the new skin cells will generate over time but consistent sun damage for a period of time might lead to permanent skin darkening. Damage done by the sun can be permanent even though the tan fades.
Exfoliating is non-negotiable if you want that perfect tan. Dead skin cells on the surface of your skin can create uneven patches, causing your tan to look blotchy or fade faster in certain areas. A good exfoliation removes this barrier, allowing your tan to develop evenly and stick around longer.
Exfoliate and Scrub
To deal with these areas or uneven tan lines, exfoliate and scrub regularly! An essential step in any self-tanning routine is an invigorating full-body scrub, which helps remove dull skin cells for smoother application of product and removal of fading tans.
Look into a mirror in natural light. Artificial lighting can alter the appearance of your natural skin colour. Notice the colour of the skin along your jawline or behind your ear. These areas typically tend to show your skin tone in its purest form, without any redness or discolouration that could get in the way.
Previous research by Rees has confirmed what sun worshippers already knew: that the upper back is much more likely to tan than the legs, and that the outsides of the arms go brown far quicker than the insides.
Uneven skin tone or hyperpigmentation? When you say uneven skin tone, it is generally understood as hyperpigmentation. A condition caused by a spike in melanin production, hyperpigmentation leads to the formation of flat, brown spots or patches that are relatively darker than your overall complexion.
You'll be able to top up your tan with a fresh new layer once your existing tan shows signs of fading. We'd advise waiting until your colour has completely faded away before stepping back in the booth to ensure even coverage and to give your new tan the best chance to last as long as possible.
From what I understand is that once your body has made enough vitamin D the melanin activates to protect our skin from too much sunlight. As we get older (and sometimes weigh more) we are less able to make Vitamin D so maybe not making enough to initiate tanning.
Here's the Science Behind it. Coffee remains the best tan removal alternative because of its natural exfoliating properties that help to ''scrub away'' the tanned skin cells, thereby revealing brighter skin underneath.