How Many Tanning Bed Sessions Do I Need to Get a Tan?

Tanning beds are an ultimate convenience. When you are in need of some complexion, fast, your local tanning salon has all of the tanning products and equipment you need to get a luxury tan in a short amount of time. But how much time, exactly? Well, the answer depends on several factors.

Continue reading to learn some factors that influence how many tanning bed sessions it might take for you to get the tan you are after, plus where to get the best luxury tan in Indianapolis.

Tanning Salon Broad Ripple  317-257-8262
Tanning Salon Broad Ripple 317-257-8262

How Does the Skin Tan?

A great way to gauge how many tanning bed sessions you may need to achieve your desired complexion is to understand how the skin tans in the first place. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is damaging to the DNA and RNA in our skin and cells. As a biological defense mechanism, your skin protects itself from sun damage by producing melanin upon exposure to UV rays.

Melanin is a darkening pigment produced by the skin when exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or artificial light, like that of a tanning bed. Not only does your skin already contain melanin, which darkens upon exposure to UV light, but further exposure to ultraviolet radiation triggers melanogenesis, a process that produces new melanin. You can thank the skin cells known as melanocytes for this. The melanocytes generate pigmentation and then pushes it out of the cells, thus causing your skin to take on the tan appearance.

Estimating Tanning Bed Sessions

So, how many tanning bed sessions will it take for you to get tan? The answer depends on your biology. How much melanin is contained in your skin? How quickly does your skin enter into melanogenesis? How many melanocytes do your skin cells contain? Additionally, you will need to ask yourself questions like, “what skin type and why?”, “how well do I usually tan from the natural sun?”, and “how long does it take for me to get a tan in the natural sun?”

You can easily gauge how many tanning bed sessions you’ll need to get a tan by comparing your tanning abilities in the natural sun. When you go to the beach, how many hours does it take before you can see your skin darkening? You can assume that 15 minutes in a tanning bed is equivalent to 30-45 minutes in the natural sun. But this is just in terms of tanning and color. The effects of UV radiation from the natural sun are similar in time compared to the UV light delivered by tanning bed.

Spray Tanning

if you are not interested in multiple tanning bed sessions, you may want to consider spray tanning. Spray tanning services deliver an artificial alternative to UV light tanning. Best of all, you can customize the color and tone of your spray tanning formula to meet the needs of your desired complexion. You will likely only need one spray tanning session to get the tan you want. Some clients do require two spray tanning sessions, while others like to double dip, which means to tan in a bed and then follow up with a spray tan.

Are you looking for a luxury tanning salon in Indy with neighborhood prices? Contact Broad Ripple Tans at 317-257-8262 to learn more about our tanning beds and indoor tanning packages in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our trained consultants can help select the right tanning bed for you!

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