How to Tan Without Burns

Tanning is a skin darkening process where ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun come into contact with your skin to produce melanin, a natural pigment in your skin. While the act of tanning generally has a bad reputation for raising your risk of skin cancer, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk if you choose to expose yourself to the sunlight for extended periods of time.

Instructions

• 1

  Tan yourself during the earlier morning hours before 11 a.m. or in the later afternoon hours after 3 p.m. Sunlight during the midday period contains more ultraviolet radiation and can lead to quicker and deeper burning.

• 2

  Apply sunscreen with an SPF number at 30 or below and reapply about every 2 hours. This protects the skin from burning while allowing it to tan gradually. Also, tanned skin is more protected from burning, so as the skin slowly tans, it is able to negate some of the harsher effects of the sun's rays.

• 3

  Begin tanning with short sunlight exposures limited to 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Increase the amount of exposure time gradually as your tan deepens and is more able to protect itself from becoming sunburned.

• 4

  Use sunless tanning lotions or sprays if you have sun sensitive skin that is easily burned. These over-the-counter products darken skin without need for tanning, and in much less time than it takes to tan in the sun.