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Over the years, everyone alters their tanning routine. Perhaps you go all out for the first two years and get super tan.
Then, you realize you want to cut back a bit and stop tanning for a year. There are many
reasons to tan. As with
anything, however, you want to tan in moderation for optimal long term health of your skin. Overdoing tanning without
a break may damage your skin. So, how do you keep track of all this? It's easy: The topic of today's article is
keeping a small journal to track your tanning lifecycle.
Your Tan Journal
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Buy a small journal and keep track of your tanning sessions, both indoors and outdoors. It doesn't have to be too detailed.
My own journal is on the monthly level. I jot down how much tanning I did for the month, how I got tan (indoors or outdoors),
and also in general how tan I am on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being most tan). The most important thing in life is your
health. The purpose of the tanning journal is to keep a record so you can optimize your tanning schedule for great health.
A quick tip: Keep your tanning journal with your swimsuit so you don't forget to record your tanning session.
Varying Your Routine - The Tanning Lifecycle
I like to look at tanning as a lifecycle. A lifecycle means you vary your routine over time. After you have been tanning
regularly for a few years (you will know this based on your journal), it's probably time to alter your routine and cut back a
bit to give your skin a rest. After about six months to a year of reduced UV exposure, it's probably a good time to get a little
more aggressive with tanning again. Keep a tanning journal and you will be able to use it to plan your tanning schedule. Is there
an exact science to this? Most definitely not! We all know however that everything in life has cycles. If you respect the
cycles of tanning and give your skin a break, your health will benefit greatly over the long term.
Take A Break From Indoor Tanning
Indoor Tanning is great. At the same
time, we can't deny that the UV bulbs are very close to your skin. Indoor tanning is a more intense experience than
outdoor tanning. If you do a lot of indoor
tanning, you need to alter your routine from time to time to give your skin a break. A great way to do this is to start tanning
outside in the summer. Also, you could cut your schedule down to fewer minutes on the tanning bed fewer times each month. If you
have been going for the max time limit each week for a long time, maybe you could cut back and go every two weeks for half time
for the next six months. Yes, you will have less of a tan but you will give your skin a much needed break in your lifecycle of
tanning. You don't want to just tan for a few years but want to play it safe so you can life a long healthy life of tanning.
Another great tip during your period of cutting back: Why not try sunless tanning? Mystic tan and airbrush tan are becoming very
popular. Why not give them a try?
This Article Is For Tanning
This article and site are in favor of tanning. Tanning is an important part of a healthy and athletic lifestyle. There are many
websites and people out there trying to scare others away from tanning. While they mostly mean well, they create a lot of useless
worrying. Yes, tanning can be bad for you if you do it way to much (you go several times a week to the tanning salon for several
years at a time). However, if you play it safe a keep a journal and vary your routine, you are golden. I am personally a big
believer in tanning the right way. As a closing thought, and again from a proponent of tanning, you will want to regularly visit
your dermatologist as part of your tanning cycle. Have your doctor examine your skin and back especially to make sure you look
good. This is a healthy and important tip to make sure you are setting yourself up for long term success.
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