Forgot To Shave Before Spray Tan - Is It Ruined?

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You’ve turned up to the tanning salon ready to take on a gorgeous new glow, only to realize you forgot to shave!

This could easily lead you to panic and think that your spray tan is ruined before it has even been applied, and who wants a patchy tan?

Is your tan really ruined if you forgot to shave before a spray tan?

It is always recommended to shave before a spray tan, but if you forget to do so, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your spray tan is ruined. Body hair can get in the way of a spray tan, but in some cases, it won’t make too much of a difference.

It is definitely better to shave a day before your spray tan, but if you forget to do so, then you can wait the recommended amount of time to shave after your spray tan to achieve a smoother look and feel.

Below is everything you need to know about shaving your legs before and after a spray tan and what to do if you forget to shave!

Does Body Hair Affect A Spray Tan?

Body hair can affect a spray tan, but the results can vary. Thicker hair can prevent the spray tan from adhering to the skin, leading to a streaky, patchy tan.

It also acts as a barrier for the spray tan product, so it does not spray onto the skin evenly.

This does not mean that you have to be completely hair-free when going for a spray tan, but you should ideally shave the areas that you usually shave.

The hair in these areas will be slightly blunter, making it thicker than the hair on the rest of your body.

Too thick hair, such as hair on your legs, can result in a patchy, streaky tan, which is definitely not something you want!

For more information, check out our article Is Shaving Before A Spray Tan Important?

Can You Shave Your Legs After A Spray Tan?

If you have forgotten to shave your legs before a spray tan, you might still want to find a way to enjoy soft, silky, smooth legs.

Thankfully, you can shave your legs after a spray tan, but there are some precautions to take!

You might be tempted to shave your legs straight away after a spray tan, but you need to wait the right amount of time for the shaving to prevent the tan from ruining.

Spray tan products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a compound that reacts with the amino acids in your skin, mostly the top layer of dead skin cells, and the oxygen in the air to darken the color of your skin.

This process takes quite some time to develop, so shaving too soon before the tan develops can really ruin the even look you want.

How Long should you Wait To Shave After A Spray Tan?

You have to wait a certain amount of time after having a spray tan done to shave, to give the spray tan time to develop fully onto your skin, so that shaving won’t cause a patchy or streaky tan.

The general recommendation is to wait at least 8 hours before shaving your legs after a spray tan. This gives the product enough time to develop, so that it will not be disturbed by shaving.

Shaving removes hair from your skin and exfoliates it. This means that some of the top layer of your skin is shed, which is where the tan sits.

So, shaving can lighten your tan and cause it to appear patchy if done too soon.

Just keep in mind that your tan color might lighten after shaving, even if you have waited the recommended amount of time or longer, so it really does help to remember to shave before going for your spray tan!

You should also consider that shaving is less likely to affect your spray tan if you prepare your skin properly for it, including exfoliating, moisturizing, and not applying any harsh products.

How To Fix A Patchy Tan After Shaving

If you shave too soon after getting a spray tan, you might end up with a patchy spray tan!

This might be really concerning, as you would want to enjoy an even, smooth, radiant glow and not have to worry about orange streaks, but there are some ways to fix this.

Here are some of the ways that you can fix a patchy spray tan after shaving:

Exfoliate

One of the best ways to even out a patchy tan is to exfoliate your skin. This removes the top layer of dead skin cells that are holding onto the patchy tan, lightening the color and hopefully evening it out more.

This will lighten your tan and remove most of the color, but it will even out the tan more, and it will help to hide the streaks and patches.

This is a good step to follow if you want to spray tan your legs again, as it lightens them enough and prepares your skin to hold onto a new spray tan more evenly.

Use Lemon And Baking Soda

Lemon juice and baking soda are both great kitchen items that you can use to remove a streaky spray tan after shaving.

To use these, combine lemon juice and baking soda until they form a paste. Rub this paste into your legs or where the streaks and patches are.

Leave it to sit on your skin for a few minutes, and then wash it away in the shower.

The acid in the lemon juice, along with the natural exfoliant baking soda, will help to strip away the tan, or at least most of it, which will go a long way to decrease the appearance of streaks and patches.

This will also lighten the spray tan, but it’s best to have it lightened rather than have streaks!

Self-Tan/Bronzer

If you do not want to lighten your tan with exfoliation or using baking soda and lemon juice, then you can cover up the patches and streaks using bronzer or self-tanner (like this one from Jergens).

Bronzer offers a quick cover-up when you are going out, but the bronzer will wash off after your first shower.

Self-tanner offers a longer solution, and it will last for up to 10 days after it has been applied.

The only issue with using self-tanner would be that you do not apply it properly, and you are just left with more streaks and patches that are more pronounced.

How To Shave Your Legs Before A Spray Tan

Shaving your legs before a spray tan is a very good idea to properly prepare your skin to hold onto the tan. You should only shave the day before your spray tan, not just before.

Here are some tips on how to shave your legs properly before a spray tan:

Shave the day before your appointment. If this is not possible, the soonest you can shave is 4 hours before.
Soak your legs in warm water before shaving.
Take a cold shower after shaving to close up pores.
Use an oil-free shaving product, so that no product is left on your skin.
Moisturize your skin with an oil-free moisturizer after shaving, to soothe skin and hydrate it in preparation for the spray tan.
Shave with the hair, not shaving against it.
Use an antiseptic lotion or a toner to close up pores and prevent ingrown hairs and infection.

Along with shaving your legs prior to a spray tan, you should also exfoliate your skin with a gentle body scrub or exfoliating mitt and moisturize your skin well.

Moisturized, exfoliated, and smooth skin holds onto a spray tan best!

How To Shave Your Legs After A Spray Tan

There is a good chance that you will need to shave your legs at some point after a spray tan, whether it be the next day or the week after.

Some precautions need to be taken when shaving your legs after a spray tan to ensure you do not strip the color from your legs.

Here are some tips on how to shave your leg after a spray tan:

Wait at least 8 hours before shaving after a spray tan.
Use a new razor, as it is less likely to cause nicks and cuts. Being sharper will also remove less of the tan on your skin.
Shave your legs using an oil-free body wash. Do not use shaving cream, as these often contain alcohol, which can strip the tan from your skin. Some body washes and products are specifically designed for spray-tan follow-up.
Do not press too hard against your skin when shaving, move lightly and gently along the top of your skin to prevent too much exfoliation.

Following the above tips will help preserve your spray tan for longer, and it will still allow you to have silky smooth legs!

Just try to delay shaving as much as you can to allow the spray tan to fully develop.

Should I Wax Instead Of Shave Before A Spray Tan?

It is fine to shave before a spray tan, but many consider waxing to be the better option.

This is because waxing keeps hair away for longer. It means that you won’t have to shave or wax too soon after your spray tan, which could help preserve your tan for longer.

Waxing also has an exfoliating effect on the skin, so it also does its part to prepare your skin for holding onto a self-tan better as well.

Make sure to wax only 24–48 hours before your spray tan, not sooner, as your skin might not recover in time for the spray tan to adhere properly and evenly.

If you have never waxed your legs before, you do not need to start now just because you are getting a spray tan.

You can still shave your legs, as long as you follow some tips on how to do so properly before a spray tan!

Do I Have To Shave Before A Spray Tan?

You do not have to shave before a spray tan if you do not usually use any hair removal methods or products.

If you have chosen to avoid shaving, waxing, or using other hair removal methods, you do not need to do so before a spray tan.

Good spray tan technicians will be able to work with your body the way it is and still give you a beautiful, even tan all over.

Should I Quickly Shave Before A Spray Tan If I Forgot To?

You might be tempted to delay your spray tan appointment by an hour so you can rush home and shave your legs, but do not do this!

You need to give your skin at least 4–8 hours to recover after shaving before having a spray tan. Doing this will only cause your skin to feel really sensitive during the spray tan and turn out patchy because your pores have not closed.

Your spray tan technician will advise against this, so do not let the thought cross your mind!

Can I Use Self-Tanner If I Haven’t Shaved?

If you are planning on applying self-tanner at home, you might be wondering if you need to shave first.

It is generally better to shave the day before applying self-tanner, but if you haven’t planned this far ahead, applying self-tanner to unshaved legs is fine.

You will need to work the self-tanning product into your skin correctly, so that the hairs do not act as a barrier between the product and your skin.

Forgot To Shave Before Spray Tan – Is It Ruined?

Your spray tan should not be completely ruined if you have forgotten to shave, and the best thing you can do is to notify your spray tan technician that you have not shaved, and carry on with the spray tan as usual.

Do not try to quickly shave before your appointment, as your skin will not have enough time to recover before the spray tan product is applied.

When shaving before a spray tan appointment, you should only do so 24 to 8 hours before, as this allows your skin to recover and be ready to hold the spray tan evenly.

After your spray tan, when you want to shave, especially because you forgot to do so before the application, it is best to wait 8 hours up to a day before shaving.

This is because the spray tan solution needs time to fully develop on your skin, and shaving too soon can cause patches, streaks, and lightening.

Forgot To Shave Before Spray Tan – Is It Ruined?

Does Body Hair Affect A Spray Tan?

Can You Shave Your Legs After A Spray Tan?

How Long should you Wait To Shave After A Spray Tan?