Moderate tanning is beneficial for skin health and improves its appearance. The negative effect of ultraviolet radiation on the epidermis has long been proven, but proper sunbathing has a positive effect on the body as a whole, as vitamin D, necessary for the absorption of calcium, is formed.
Lightly tanned skin looks fresher, has a rested appearance and a pleasant shade. To achieve this effect, you can also use bronzing creams, but they are not suitable for everyone, as they can clog pores and cause irritation. Today, you can give your skin the desired color even in winter. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to leave the house for this; you can simply purchase a compact solarium for your face.
Benefits and harms
Among girls, there is an ambiguous opinion about solariums: some talk about their unequivocal harm, while others note the positive aspects. It is impossible to claim that one of the positions is wrong.
Tanning in a solarium has both benefits and harm, which can occur if this procedure is abused.
The positive aspects are expressed as follows:
- the skin acquires a beautiful, uniform shade and a healthier appearance, the severity of signs of fatigue decreases;
- under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, pathogenic bacteria die, and the skin healing process also starts, due to which the number of acne is reduced;
- a light tan makes the skin more resistant to further exposure to sunlight;
- ultraviolet lamps are useful for the treatment of many dermatological diseases;
- During the procedure, the body produces vitamin D, which is necessary for the proper functioning of internal organs, and also helps improve the quality of skin, hair and nails.
It is necessary to recognize the presence of negative aspects of tanning and visiting a solarium in particular.
Among them:
- activation of the photoaging process caused by the accelerated destruction of collagen and elastin fibers;
- there is a risk of burns;
- increased risk of tumor formation, including malignant ones;
- if the procedure is abused, the number of pimples and blackheads can only increase;
- The possibility of pigmentation cannot be ruled out.
A moderate tan not only hides imperfections on the face (acne spots, dark circles under the eyes, age spots, etc.), but also has a general healing effect on the epidermis by getting rid of harmful microorganisms. In addition,
tanning in a solarium has its contraindications, For example:
You can also read: Spots on the skin after sunbathing
- acute infectious diseases;
- allergy to sun rays;
- a large number of moles on the face and body;
- tumors;
- hypertension;
- thyroid diseases, etc.
In any case, even if you intend to use a mini-solarium to improve the color of your facial skin only, it is recommended to first visit a doctor.
It is important to find out whether it is permissible to carry out such a procedure in a particular case, taking into account all the characteristics of the body’s condition.
Therapeutic properties
According to doctors, the benefits and harms of solariums for women are in a 50/50 ratio. Useful characteristics include assistance in the treatment of heart and vascular diseases, respiratory tract diseases such as rhinitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, and colds.
In winter, the solarium is an excellent therapy for seasonal depression. Ultraviolet rays relieve feelings of apathy, dullness and drowsiness, giving energy and good spirits.
In addition to an even chocolate skin tone, visiting a light-emitting chamber strengthens the immune system, helps fight fungal diseases, and increases potency and libido in men.
How to use
If there are no contraindications, you can start using a solarium for your face. Unlike the body version, this one is compact and easy to use, so every girl can buy it for herself.
The device has several built-in ultraviolet lamps (depending on the specific model). They can be located on one or several planes. In the first case, you will have to turn your head so that the tan spreads evenly over your entire face and neck. In the second case, the rays come from several sides at once, so there is no need to apply any additional effort.
The rules for using the device are no different from recommendations for sunbathing or visiting a full-fledged solarium.
The skin must first be cleansed of cosmetics and dirt without using aggressive cleansers. Scrubs, acid peels and other products that make the epidermis thin and vulnerable should not be used.
To protect your skin, you need to purchase a special tanning cream that helps neutralize the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation.
If there are areas on the face that are prone to pigmentation, they must be treated with an anti-tanning barrier cream before using a solarium for the face. Otherwise, you can only worsen the situation: the additional melanin secreted by the body will make the spots darker than they were before
The maximum duration of the first tanning session is 5 minutes. Then the time can be gradually increased, but not more than 20 minutes. The total number of procedures depends on the skin type and its ability to acquire the desired shade, but it is not recommended to do more than 10 sessions per course (2-3 times a week). The minimum break between courses is 1 month.
After using a mini-solarium, you need to apply a cream to your face to soothe the dermis. You can purchase such a product in a beauty salon or in specialized cosmetic stores. The product may contain panthenol, oils, aloe extract and other components, the action of which is aimed at the rapid restoration of the epidermis.
If the skin turns red and begins to peel, you must continue to use the healing cream and temporarily suspend the procedures.
Effective ways to combat redness after tanning
My face was burned in a solarium, how to remove the redness? First aid should be comprehensive, including medicines and folk remedies, which are presented below.
Medicines
How to remove redness after solarium?
When the first negative symptoms appear, the following medications can be used:
- Panthenol. Helps quickly eliminate all unpleasant symptoms of skin burns. The procedure is repeated several times a day until redness and discomfort are completely eliminated.
- Bepanten. Accelerates the process of restoration of damaged tissues.
- Cooling preparations with menthol relieve redness and swelling of the skin.
- Diclofenac. Helps relieve sunburn symptoms and prevent blistering.
- Dermazin. An antibacterial drug that reduces the risk of infection of the body through open wounds on the skin.
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Traditional methods
Traditional medicine recipes will help eliminate swelling and redness of the skin after solarium:
- Fermented milk products without dyes and chemical compounds relieve pain and redness very well. The most important thing is to promptly wash off fermented milk products from the skin after they dry out. You can repeat the procedure several times a day.
- You can make a compress based on milk, honey and water. Mix everything until smooth, apply to gauze and apply to the affected areas.
- Apply a chilled cabbage leaf to damaged skin to relieve redness.
- We treat the burned areas with a decoction of calendula or chamomile to stop the inflammatory process and eliminate all unpleasant symptoms.
- Grind fresh aloe leaves to a paste. The mask should be applied for a few minutes and washed off with warm water.
- Regular egg whites can also help relieve skin redness. The main thing is to wash off the mask from the skin in time before the protein dries.
- Steam oatmeal until cooked. Cool the resulting mixture and apply it to the affected areas for a few minutes.
- Compresses based on raw cucumber or potatoes will help relieve swelling and redness. Grind the vegetables to a homogeneous consistency and apply to the burned areas.
- Chilled sauerkraut helps eliminate skin redness in the first stage of a burn.
When to see a doctor
At the last degree of severity, when the red face becomes covered with bubbles of liquid, you need to consult a dermatologist. Only a specialist can assess the extent of the burn and select effective treatment, taking into account the particular health conditions of a particular patient.
Models of solariums
Facial solariums can be purchased from various manufacturers. The cost of the device depends on the number of lamps and their power, as well as on additional parameters. When choosing a specific model, you need to pay attention to:
- the ability to replace components (lamps sooner or later become unusable);
- the presence of a timer that will simplify the procedure, eliminating the need to turn on the alarm or keep track of the time;
- necessary certificates and warranty cards.
To avoid unforeseen situations, it is recommended to buy such devices only from trusted manufacturers who are responsible for the quality of their products.
Let's look at several available models.
Hapro Summer Glow HB175
The device is designed to provide an even tan of a beautiful shade and give the skin radiance. The device is equipped with four lamps (15 W each). Weight – 2.9 kilograms. The set includes two pairs of safety glasses. There is a memory that can contain information about two users. During the procedure, a diffused light system is used, which makes the tan even and minimizes the risk of sunburn. There is a timer, as well as the ability to automatically turn off the device after a set time.
The average cost is 13 thousand rubles.
Hapro Summer Glow HB 404
A device that allows you to tan both your face and décolleté (area size 40 by 60 cm). Has one 400 W lamp. The weight of the device is 5.5 kilograms. The set includes glasses. There is a timer, as well as a special distance meter, which is designed to determine the optimal position of the face during the procedure. There is a built-in filter that reduces the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation and protects the skin from drying out.
The average cost is 32 thousand rubles.
Efbe-Schott 834
The solarium is made in Germany. Equipped with four lamps (15 W each). It has built-in memory for four users, a timer, and an automatic shutdown function. The set includes two pairs of safety glasses. The device uses reflective surfaces that distribute ultraviolet rays in an optimal way, helping to obtain a beautiful golden tan.
The average cost is 8 thousand rubles.
Contraindications to visiting a solarium
It is not recommended to visit the solarium:
- children under 18 years of age;
- pregnant women;
- nursing mothers;
- hypertensive patients;
- people with excessive pigmentation on the skin, as well as an abundance of moles and papillomas;
- patients with tuberculosis;
- people with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- those suffering from liver and kidney diseases;
- while taking strong medications and antibiotics.
In other difficult cases, you need to decide whether to visit a solarium or not with a doctor who is a specialist in this field.
Be sure to consult your doctor first. Although the power in compact solariums is small, if the rules are not followed, it is easy to harm your own health.
Solariums are not safe for people with numerous birthmarks. You should also not sunbathe while taking certain medications: hormonal, psychotropic, diuretic, painkillers.
A list of medical restrictions is shown below.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- heart pathologies;
- atherosclerosis;
- open pulmonary tuberculosis;
- asthma;
- high sensitivity to UV radiation;
- blood diseases;
- women's diseases;
- benign and malignant neoplasms;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding.
It is also not advisable to sunbathe in a solarium and naturally on the same day.
Reviews
Reviews from owners of mini-solariums are both positive and negative. In any case, before purchasing, it is recommended to consult with a doctor about the possibility of tanning procedures with home lamps, and also study the opinions of users about a particular model.
Margarita: “I don’t like to be pale, so I always use self-tanning. But I can’t use it on my face, because my skin is very oily, the cream comes out in streaks, clogs my pores and looks simply disgusting. Therefore, I decided to spend money on a folding mini-solarium with four lamps from some manufacturer unknown to me. The device is quite large in size and illuminates the face, neck and décolleté area from three sides. I sunbathe about once a week with a special cream for 15 minutes. I like the result. The number of acne has decreased, the skin always looks fresh, as if I had just returned from vacation.”
Alla: “I’ve always dreamed of having a solarium at home, because I’m tired of going to a beauty salon, and I’m quite squeamish about such things. Of course, it was not possible to buy a full-fledged one, so I opted for the mini version from Efbe-Schott. At the same time, I immediately took several additional lamps in the kit, which I don’t regret. This solarium has 4 lamps located in the same plane, so you have to constantly turn. But it shines well and the tan applies evenly. There is a timer that helps you not to overstay the required time. By the way, I sunbathe not only my face, but also other parts of my body. I didn’t expect any effect other than a beautiful skin tone from the device, so I’m happy with everything and can confidently recommend it.”
Maria: “Knowing the dangers of solariums, I still decided to buy a compact device for my home that allows me to tan my face and neck. I was afraid of getting burned, so I increased the duration gradually, starting from 5 minutes. After the first time I did not see any changes. The second time I waited 10 minutes. No result. I reached a third of an hour, tanned every other day for two weeks. Believe it or not: there is zero effect! The complexion has not changed at all! Either my skin doesn’t perceive the rays, or the device is defective, but now I only use it to purify the air instead of an ultraviolet lamp.”
A mini facial solarium is a convenient thing for those who want to maintain a golden skin tone all year round. If you follow safety rules, the procedure will help to achieve not only a cosmetic, but also a therapeutic effect in the form of reducing the number of acne, blackheads, and narrowing pores.
Can children go to the solarium?
In 2005, the WHO (World Health Organization) issued a statement emphasizing the particular dangers of using artificial tanning for children under 18 years of age. In many northern countries, solariums have become very popular among teenagers. Meanwhile, over the past 40 years, the incidence of melanoma has increased sharply.
For example, in Sweden - 3 times. This jump is associated with uncontrolled visits by young people to artificial tanning places. It is believed that the influence of ultraviolet radiation on the developing child’s body is especially dangerous. Although, most likely, the fact is that it is more difficult to convince children that only short-term procedures are useful.
Many European countries and some American states have banned minors from visiting solariums. In Germany, a fine of 50 thousand euros has been introduced for violating the ban. There are no such restrictions in Russia yet.
The time of the first session should be minimal. I would recommend visiting the solarium no more than 2 times a week. As soon as the skin is slightly tanned (usually 4 sessions are enough for this), switch to 1 procedure per week. After tanning, be sure to apply a product with moisturizing and nourishing ingredients to your skin.
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Expert opinion
Michelle Ellern
practicing cosmetologist-dermatologist
Don't be afraid of the solarium. It is much gentler on the skin compared to sun tanning. In addition, this procedure provokes an increase in the production of important vitamin D. It plays an important role in calcium metabolism. In modern devices it is possible to control the ratio of rays that are beneficial to the body. And such a session provokes the production of the pleasure hormone and has a positive effect on a person’s mood.
Aisha Baron
plastic surgeon
If you don't overdo it with tanning, then it will only benefit you.
The fact is that this procedure improves blood circulation, protects against the growth of bacteria on the face, and helps fight acne and inflammatory processes. Visits to the solarium even bring blood pressure levels back to normal. A home solarium for the face is in demand among the female population due to its small size, efficient operation and reasonable price.
This device allows you to have an attractive bronze skin tone regardless of the season. The main thing is to strictly adhere to the instructions and medical recommendations, then you don’t have to worry about your health.
Scientific facts about solariums
Not long ago, scientists found that frequent use of a solarium can lead to addiction.
Doubts arose after the uncontrollable desire of women to visit the solarium was noted, despite the ban from doctors. Then a number of laboratory studies were carried out that accurately confirmed the existence of such a dependence. It is somewhat similar to a drug.
The brains of people who visit solariums year-round were examined. It turned out that his activity is the same as that of drug and alcohol addicts.
Some states took note of the results of such experiments. Thus, in Brazil and Australia such procedures are now officially banned.
In many countries (France, Canada, Germany, Great Britain) artificial tanning is prohibited for persons under 18 years of age.
But there are other studies according to which the benefits of solariums are not denied. The main thing is not to overdo it with dosage and intensity.
It has been precisely proven that artificial tanning is safer than natural tanning, provided that specialized creams are used. In addition, in winter, such sessions can relieve seasonal depression.
To look permanently dark, you don’t have to sit in front of a solarium every day. To achieve the desired result and not cause harm to health, a course of tanning 10-12 times twice a year is enough.
