Having tanned and nice looking skin is becoming more and more important in our society. We often have to use tanning beds in order to get our skin to the desired color. There are a few things that should be done to get the best tan, and the very first one is a good moisturizing lotion. Try to go for high quality moisturizers and tanning lotions – not only do they provide a nicer and longer lasting tan but their actions on your skin are also more delicate.

Tan extender lotions should also be in your bag when you are using a tanning bed. The main role of this lotion is to keep the tan intensity constant between exposures to the artificial light. Sometimes, if you are not using the moisturizer and extender, you might lose half of the potential tan. However, do not use the same outdoor tanning oils when you are tanning indoors. Because of the differences between natural sunlight and artificial tanning light, the outdoor oils might actually prevent you from getting a good and uniform tan.

Being constant about your indoor tanning sessions is important, as skipping a few will put a hold on the process. Your tan develops in time and is a gradual process, and repeated exposure to ultra violet (UV) lights is the only way to keep it going. If you just skipped a session or two, chances are you can go back to your regular tanning schedule without any worries. If you took a longer break, make sure to consult with the manual of your tanning bed and see if you need to start over.

You also need to be very careful when planning your initial tanning session, as one exposure time might be just fine for one skin type and disastrous for another. If you are a fair skinned person, try to find a program that will target pigmentation more precisely, without risking burns, of course. Getting to know your skin type is important – there are 5 categories, starting from 1 (albino – extremely white skin) and going all the way to 5, with highly pigmented skin. Consult your tanning bed manual for exposure times for each skin type, or ask the attendant at the sunning parlor to create a safe and efficient schedule for your particular skin type.

Many people wish to eliminate trips to the tanning facility and get their own tanning bed. You may choose the vertical or horizontal tanners. The horizontal ones, also known as capsules, are the classic tanning beds and they are more relaxing than the vertical ones. However, vertical tanning beds do have some strong points, such as a better all-round tan and no pressure points that you get in horizontal tanning beds. Before purchasing the tanning bed you should check the space it requires to be installed and what the electrical specifications are. Models that use more tanning lamps will also eat a lot more electricity – on the other hand they are the ones producing the fastest tan. Although the initial cost of the tanning bed will be higher, you might still consider this investment a good one, especially if you are a frequent tanner.