At our Delaware med spa we like to say there is aggressive tanning like when you are trying to get tan by laying out or using a tanning bed and there is passive tanning like when you just don’t use sunblock when you should. The passive tanners often don’t realize how much accumulated sun exposure they get. The aggressive tanners like tanning and how they look when tan. This is a hard time of year to avoid sun exposure. Sometimes we all get more sun exposure than we want. What is important is to make sure that your medical spa providers are well informed and inform you about services that absolutely cannot be done when you are tan or tanning. Here is a list of med spa services and products to avoid if you are tan or tanning.
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). IPL recognizes color. IPL works to remove brown spots, freckles, broken capillaries and redness. If you are tan, you are at much higher risk for the IPL to want to remove that tan color also and you can blister. If you want a safe and effective IPL, have treatment when you are not tan or plan on tanning. October is one of the most popular months to have IPL to remove the summer sun damage.
- Lasers and laser resurfacing should be avoided if tan. There are a ton of different types of lasers and many are designed to remodel the skin and promote collagen renewal or remove unwanted hair. If you have a tan, the laser should be avoided entirely. You can blister or burn.
- Chemical peels and lightening products should be avoided when you are tanning. If you tan when you have a chemical peel or after a chemical peel, you can cause more excess pigmentation to occur also called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Peels are not safe if you plan on tanning or have a tan. Lightening products are designed to reduce the activity of pigment making cells (suppress the cells) and if you tan you stimulate the cells having no results or worsening of your pigmentation. Avoid products with hydroquinone if you are tanning.
- RetinA (tretinoin) should be avoided if you are tanning. RetinA can remove the dead layer of skin and if you are tanning this would make you age faster if you have no protection on the skin and/or cause more hyperpigmentation. RetinA can be used in the summer if you are using sun protection and avoiding the sun but if you are a tanner. Forget about it.
- Microneedling, microneedling with energy like Infini and Vivace and other treatments that penetrate the skin should be avoided if tanning. Your skin is trying to repair itself and should not be exposed to harmful UV rays.
If you want to commit to anti-aging and looking your best by preserving your skin, tanning should be avoided. Our med spa is often trying to undo what tanning has done. Our goal is to keep our community well informed about safety and effectiveness in a medical spa setting. Charmed Medispa offers a variety of services that focuses on natural refreshment. Our team includes Delaware’s most experienced med spa providers. Check out our five star med spa reviews and our gallery of results! Call today to schedule a consultation to review your goals at 302-273-2827.
