Fake Tans for a Safe Golden Glow

Dr. Furnas (00:06):
It's winter. You might be dreaming of a tropical vacay, so you can park yourself poolside. If you're pasty white, you might have one goal, a golden glowing tan. Or you could fake it. But will you turn the color of the politician nicknamed "Agent Orange"? Welcome to Skintuition. I'm Heather Furnas.

Dr. Korman (00:33):
And I'm Josh Korman. As two plastic surgeons, we lay aside our scalpels and explore the nonsurgical world to bring you what's new, what's safe, and what to look for when you're ready to hit refresh.

Dr. Furnas (00:49):
So Josh, is there such a thing as a healthy tan?

Dr. Korman (00:54):
Sure, if it comes out of a bottle, not poolside. You know, as plastic surgeons, we're particularly interested in fake tans because we see the damage from real tans. A long time ago, I worked in Scotland where there were way too many incidents of skin cancer, and a lot of these people had their own tanning booths at home, so they had really light skin and they wanted to get this deep glow of a tan, but unfortunately, they'd get some bad skin cancers. So it's not just skin cancers, deep lines, sun damage. We don't want to be like Icarus, we don't want to fly too close to the sun.

Dr. Furnas (01:37):
And you know, in the US we drive on the right, and you can see people in the driver's seat get a lot of sun exposure on their left face. And any plastic surgeon, any dermatologist who deals with the face, sees a change from the left side. There's a lot more sun damage than there is on the right and people who come in for facial treatments. So there is a way to get that golden glow, and if you do it the old fashioned way, you may look good at 19, but another 20 years later, you're not going to look so good. So fake is a great way to go.

Dr. Korman (02:22):
And what is the definition of fake anyway? You know, Coco Chanel really many decades ago really popularized that kind of golden glow, and I think it's kind of a question of what is considered the right amount of glow. I know that in bodybuilding competitions, an integral part of the competition is the spray tans, and there are at least two spray tan sessions before the competition, and some people even have a third one because if they sweat under the lights, then it can wash off. So I think it is a big industry. Tans are big industries, and I think we're moving more and more towards more of the spray tans than the tanning beds or tanning booths or things which may be slightly better than a sunburn or a suntan. But the bottle is really a better way to go,

Dr. Furnas (03:37):
Yeah, with those tanning beds you're still being exposed to the UV rays. Some people use a combination, but anything, any exposure to the UV rays is not good. The main ingredient in this fake tan is called it's DHA dihydroxyacetone, and it's actually a type of sugar that reacts with the amino acids in the outer layer of our skin and produces a brown colored substance called melanoidin. And so it's actually, it produces this color, it doesn't paint it on. It actually interacts biologically, chemically, and produces this brown color sometimes that if you put too much, it can look a little orange, it can look a little unnatural. And so sometimes it's mixed with another sugar that acts more slowly but can give a more natural look. Interestingly, DHA is a natural substance, it's form, we find it in fruits and vegetables and honey, and we actually produce it ourselves as part of our metabolism. So it's considered a safe substance, although people can find it irritating, but it doesn't cause cancer. It's not nothing like the UV rays.

Dr. Korman (05:10):
So does that mean we could just put honey all over our bodies and it would do the same thing?

Dr. Furnas (05:18):
Well, that might get, that might be a sticky situation, but one could. <laugh> In order to get the best result, you can do home tanning or professional tanning. Professional tanning, as Josh mentioned, they spray and it's very quick. They can do it in a matter of minutes. There is potential exposure to the chemicals because it is being sprayed at home. And whether you go home or professionally, you should exfoliate a day or two before putting on a self tanner because that helps assure that you're getting an even tan and really focus on dry areas like your joints, elbows, knees, ankles, and wrists. And then you want to moisturize, use a lightweight moisturizer. And that also really helps maintain the tan dry skin can absorb the tanner, and that can result in streaks and patches.

Dr. Korman (06:28):
So does that mean if you have a suntan, I remember a long time ago you get a suntan, and then are you afraid to wash your face because you don't want the tan to go away? So how long does these DHA spray tans actually last?

Dr. Furnas (06:43):
They last about five to seven days. But if you do things like avoid exfoliation, as you just mentioned, Josh, sometimes with our face we exfoliate, you're going to take off that tan. So you avoid exfoliation, you want to moisturize, keep that tan moisturize, some tan extenders or actually moisturizers. You also don't want tight clothing rubbing, which can physically rub off that tan color, and you can reapply every three to five days. Some people will do that. It does take time. If you're having it professionally done, it can be expensive, but if you are in a bathing suit for a professional purpose, maybe your model or something, then you may be motivated to keep that tan up and reapply the tan on a regular basis.

Dr. Korman (07:47):
So what would you say like a bridal party, like if a bride is getting married on a Saturday or a Sunday or some weekend day, and how many days before should they have their tan?

Dr. Furnas (08:01):
Good question. I would probably have it done not right before. You want to get it done, at least a first tan to make sure that you've got the right color and that you've got the right intensity applied. You know, too much, you look orange, and so you want to get that right before the wedding and then before the wedding, I think a day or two so you're wthin that five to seven days. And depending on the festivities afterwards, you don't want to be spending time in a tanning booth. So maybe the day before, two days before something, and you should look good for at least those five to seven days, and then you could work on prolonging for 10 days. But that's actually a great idea for sort of a bridal party.

Dr. Korman (08:59):
So one thing though I would say is that you shouldn't try it out the first time in the week before. You should do it sometime a few weeks to months before just to make sure you don't get any skin irritation because fake tanners can contain fragrances, alcohol, preservatives, that can lead to itchiness, redness, and dryness. And if you have sensitive skin, that would be even more significant. So certainly do not assume that it's all going to be great. So anything that you're going to do before a big event, I would say make sure that you've tried that out in the past so that if there are any reactions, you didn't discover them right before the big event.

Dr. Furnas (09:45):
And if you do have sensitive skin, you may want to wait at least a week to reapply. So that would be another reason not to experiment right before. And if you're doing a home tan, apply with a tanning mitt or an applicator glove, and that helps you get even distribution. You want to work in units, start with your feet and work your way up in circular motions. Work in sections and blend carefully around the joints, elbows, knees, and ankles. And use a mirror so that you can look for streaks or uneven areas and then wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. You could have tanner there and then dry completely before putting on your clothes so you don't stain your clothes. And then moisturize, keep it up, moisturize. And as we said, avoid exfoliating and avoid harsh soaps as well so you don't strip away the color. And then,

Dr. Korman (10:53):
So if I'm going to have a laser treatment on my face and I'm not supposed to be tanned, is it okay to have a fake tan?

Dr. Furnas (11:00):
Yeah, it's funny because you think, well, it's not a real tan, but yeah, we treat it just the same as a tan because it is this brown color, the brown melanoidin, and so that laser targets, it targets wavelengths and color wavelengths, and so that brown coloration can sort of disrupt that laser's ability to target the right depth of the skin. And so you can have uneven results or even damage to a burn or something. So you do want to avoid a tan for at least two weeks before having a laser and avoid the sun and use sunscreen before to prep your skin.

Dr. Korman (11:52):
Yeah, I think that sunscreen thing is really important to remember because just because you have a fake tan, it's not like you're pre-screened for the sun. So if you have a fake tan, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't really be very cautious and use sunscreen, especially. Use sunscreen at least 45 minutes before you go out in the sun, not just five seconds before you go out there and jump in the pool.

Dr. Furnas (12:21):
Speaking of jump in the pool, chlorine can shorten the duration of a tan and hot showers too. So those are two other things. Unfortunately, if you are going for, you know, poolside vacation, you've got the fake tan, I guess maybe you're working on a real tan, which is not a great idea, but that chlorine can shorten the duration of your fake tan. But it is a great way to have that bronze glow without sun damage.

Dr. Korman (12:57):
Yeah. So thank you for listening to this episode of Skintuition. Join us every two weeks as we tackle topics from hair loss to hormones and pimples to wrinkles, discovering new ways to feel better about ourselves.

Dr. Furnas (13:12):
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