Experienced beachgoers know the joys of sun tanning can make vacationing at the beach unforgettable, from feet, arms, legs, neck, face and back tans. Remove it with skin care products or professional treatments while learning its causes as well as types for prevention or remedies.
Sun Tan: What It Is
When your body senses an imminent risk from sun exposure, its defence mechanisms kick into gear to defend your skin’s safety from damage. Melanocytes produce pigment that’s then transferred onto keratinocytes of the upper skin layer where melanin deposited at each nucleus on exposed parts spreads throughout. Melanin also protects cells against UV radiation that would otherwise lead to cell damage by providing shade from UV rays rays; in doing this way melanin protects from cell damage while providing UV ray protection as well.
Sun tans occur when melanin, the pigment found in skin cells, increases in response to contact with ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight. The results is an increasing darkness which acts as your body’s natural defense system against these harmful rays and is your body’s way of protecting itself.
These UVA and UVB rays both penetrate your lower epidermis layer causing cells to produce more melanin which in turn causes cells to produce even more melanin which in turn tans your skin. Overexposure causes sunburns while diminishes elastic skin tone elasticity aging your complexion over time. Long term sun exposure can result in burns along with reduced skin elasticity as well as premature ageing effects due to reduced skin elasticity as well as reduce elasticity over time.
Sun Tan Causes
Tanning can have serious adverse repercussions, whether using home tanning beds or sunbathing on a beach. Tanning marks DNA damage which leads to potential cell harm; its intensity depends on UV spectrum’s various wavelengths of light exposure.
1. UVA Rays
UV rays cause severe skin tanning by penetrating deeply into skin layers and damaging melanocytes resulting in overproduction of melanin and eventually leading to dark brownish or black tans.
2. UVB Rays
UVB rays have long been recognized to damage the uppermost layers of skin. Summer months tend to increase exposure while winter tends to have less of an effect. While UVA radiation causes melanocyte overproduction, its counterpart UVB causes DNA damage leading to increased melanin and tanning effects on its own.
3. UVC Rays
UV rays cause melanocytes to produce excessive melanin, darkening your skin due to tanning and oxidization processes, and ultimately leading to darkened patches on its surface.
Sun Tan Types
According to the Fitzpatrick scale, skin types dictate how much sun someone will absorb and therefore how quickly their tan develops in response to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Indian skin has typically been classified as 4th or 5th type skin type which makes them especially prone to tanning under sunlight conditions.
Type 2 Skin: People in this category tend to have pale, light-colored skin with blonde or red hair and green or blue eye colors, who don’t tan easily and may experience sunburn damage more readily than their counterparts.
People with fair skin and blue eyes generally lack the ability to tan, leading to frequent sunburns.
Type 4 Skin: People in this category typically have dark skin which burns quickly but eventually turns golden with sun exposure, becoming tanned over time.
Type 4, Light Brownish Skin Tone: This skin type does not experience sunburns easily and often quickly tans under UV lighting conditions.
People with brown-colored skin tend to become sun tanned more easily by exposure to ultraviolet radiation; thus they’re less prone to sunburns compared to people with other skin types.
Type 6-Skin: People in this category tend to have dark or black skin tones and thus rarely experience sunburns; instead they become very tanned as a result of being out in the sun regularly.
Before getting sun tans, it is crucially important to understand their consequences. These could include:
1. Skin Cancers
Tan tanning increases your risk of skin cancer. Indoor or outdoor tanning have similar results: sunlight alters DNA which, over time, increases skin cancer risks including melanomas[ 5, basal cell cancer and squamous-cell carcinoma which have all become increasingly likely and could even pass down from generation to generation.
2. Sunburns
Sun tans may cause sun burns as one of their side effects, with sun rays irritating or reddening skin’s outermost layers and potentially peeling away in patches or altogether as soon as the burn worsens.
3. Actinic Keratosis
Long term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can result in solar keratosis (also called actinic Keratosis). You’ll recognize it from its characteristic irregular texture of your skin as well as any raised bumps on its surface; some individuals may show early indications of skin cancer development as well.
4. Low Immunity
UV radiation exposure can damage your immune system and decrease its ability to defend you against infections. Overexposure could even increase risk for skin cancer and other related ailments; you could develop sensitivities to cosmetics and topical medication products due to exposure.
5. Premature Aging
Indoor and outdoor tanning may disrupt the normal cellular ageing process of skin cells. You could notice dark spots, fine lines or patches of leathery texture on your face as a result.
6. Eye Injury
Photokeratitis and cataracts can both be caused by UV radiation from the sun. Photokeratitis develops when UV rays from sunlight penetrate through and damage the cornea of an eye, with symptoms including decreased vision, irritation of eye tissues and burning in your eyes – with clouded lenses potentially decreasing or altering vision altogether.
Sun Tan Prevention
- When heading out in the heat of summer, cover up completely.
- Keep your scarves and sunglasses handy, as well as your hats.
- Avoid outdoor activities between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. This is when the sun is at its strongest.
- Apply sunscreen before you go out, and then again after some time to prevent tanning and maintain healthy skin.
- To prevent dehydration, in the summer drink lots of water and fruit juices. Drink at least 15 glasses water, and consume water-rich foods like watermelon or cucumber.
- Apply sunblock and sunscreen with mineral ingredients every 20 minutes if you must work in the sun.
- You should wash your face at least twice a day to remove sweat, oils, and dirt.
- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables to boost your immune system. This boosts the skin’s immune system and fights sun damage.
Professional Sun Tan Removal Treatments
Professional treatments can be used to remove the tan from the skin or reduce the effect of a tan. These treatments can be obtained from skin clinics with highly trained specialists.
1. Peels of Chemical Peels
The acid solution is applied to the skin and creates a controlled injury site. This will eventually cause the skin to peel off, leading it towards new skin growth. The chemical peels may sting and cause a burning feeling for several minutes. To relieve the pain, you can use OTC or cold compresses.
The tan-removal treatment will remove the dead skin cells that have an excess of melanin[ 6]. Chemical peels are a great way to remove tan. They use ingredients such as phenol, carbolic or glycolic acids, salicylic or trichloroacetic acids, or even lactic acid. Chemical peels can be classified based on the intensity and effectiveness of their chemical ingredients.
- Deep Chemical Peel
- Medium Chemical Peel
- Chemical peeling is a superficial treatment.
2. Microdermabrasion
The topmost layer of skin is removed by gently removing the microdermabrasion. The skin is removed using an applicator with an abrasive and suction tip. The session is about an hour long and there’s no pain. This eliminates the need for any anaesthesia. This treatment may temporarily cause your skin to appear pinker or tighter.
The treatment removes the melanin-rich dead skin cells. This treatment also promotes a faster regeneration of new skin cells. You will then have a youthful-looking, tanned skin that is firm and tinged. Choose between two microdermabrasion methods to remove sun tan.
3. Cryotherapy
The liquid nitrogen used in Cryotherapy is effective at removing sun tan, and also sun spots. The procedure is painless and gentle. It only takes a few moments per session of Cryotherapy to see your skin become visibly lighter and free from sun-tan.
4. Laser Treatment
1. IPL laser
IPL Lasers use Intense pulsed light energy[ 9] and can be used to treat the area of skin that is tanned. The melanin is heated and broken down to remove the discolouration of the skin caused by tanning. One IPL session lasts about 30 minutes, and there is no pain or very little. It is possible that the number of sessions you need will depend on your skin type and how darkly tanned you are.
2. Laser Toning
A dermatologist uses a laser to remove the skin tanning and break down the melanin pigment. High-intensity light is converted to heat energy when applied to skin. This allows the laser to target the melanin-chromophore pigment without damaging the surrounding soft tissue. The laser beams reach deep layers of the skin to remove excess melanin.
Sun Tan Treatments: Natural remedies
Use these natural remedies for removing the effects of sun tanning on your skin.
- Mix honey and lime juice with bleaching agents. Apply the mixture to tanned areas. After 20-30 minutes, wash it off to remove the sun tan.
- Apply the paste made from equal amounts of rice flour and potato juice to sun-tanned areas. Potatoes have a bleaching action that will effectively lighten sun tan. After 15 minutes, rinse with cold water.
- Let the saffron soak in milk for 2 hours. Apply the mixture to the skin that has been tanned and rinse after 20 minutes. Saffron has skin-lightening properties, soothes the skin and contains bioactive compounds that protect it from UV rays.
- Use curd to mix a teaspoon of besan with a tiny amount of turmeric powder. A few drops of Lemon Juice can be added. Leave it on for 30 minutes. To see the results, rinse well.
- Coconut milk contains mild acids and vitamin C to combat tan. Coconut milk can be applied to tanned areas with a cotton ball. Allow it to dry. It can be removed with a gentle cleansing soap.
Sun Tan Skin Care Products
1. Tan Removal Creams
Tan removal creams contain ingredients that lighten melanin to remove the tanning effect on the upper skin layer. By targeting the deeper skin layers, a tan-removal serum or cream will inhibit the enzymes that prevent melanin from being produced.
2. Tan Removal Products containing Lightening Actives
They contain chemical and lightening ingredients that fight the tan on the skin and increase the effect of the product. Select products that contain one or more lighting actives.
- Liquorice Root Extract: The liquorice extract contains glabridin[ 10] and flavonoids[ 11] that can remove skin tanning and UVB effects.
- Kojic acid: This is a fermented mushroom-shaped fungus that contains the Kojic acid. The sun-tan fighting ingredient stops the production of melanin and has a whitening effect.
- Vitamin C : The vitamin C in your tanning lotion acts as an inhibitor of the tyrosinase. This enzyme stimulates melanin to reduce the tanning effects.
- Niacinamide The vitamin B3 derivate is helpful to lighten skin and remove sun tanning. This works by cutting the number of melanocytes on the surface of your skin in half.
3. De-tan Face Pack
The ingredients in the de-tanner face pack can help to remove the tanning effect of skin that has been exposed to UV radiation. These products won’t lighten skin but they will help to even out skin tone.
4. Exfoliation Products
These products will remove the dead pigmented cells from the surface of your skin when you gently scrub it. The appearance of the tan will be reduced and a more even toned skin is obtained. Scrubs containing chemicals such as beta and alpha-hydroxy acids will dissolve pigmented skin cells.
Summary
It is important to protect your skin from the UV radiation. It will be a while before the sun tan fades away when combined with de-tanners and natural remedies. Contact Kolors if you need to remove the tanning marks fast to make yourself look better or if your skin is sensitive and has been affected by a deep tanning. Kolors Healthcare provides safe and professional treatments to remove pigmented, dead skin cells.
Referrals
- https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/tanning/risks-tanning
- National Library of Medicine (NLM) – https://medlineplus.gov/tanning.html
- Ward WH, Farma JM – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK481857/table/chapter6.t1/
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9272582/
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3672405/
- American Academy of Dermatology – https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/sunscreen-faqs
- Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3461803/
- Dermatology Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Pristina – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4720453/
- Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3982879/
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital, Guangdong China – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9123664/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/glabridin
