Headed to get a spray tan, and wondering what the spray tan solution might do to your nipples? I know, a weird sentence, but it’s actually a real concern for many.
How will the DHA in the spray tan solution affect your areola? Will it make it darker, or lighter? Is it dangerous if you’re pregnant and breastfeeding?
In this short article, we’ll answer these questions and more, as well as talk about what you can do about it.
Is It Alright To Spray Tan Your Nipples?
Absolutely, as long as you aren’t currently breastfeeding.
DHA, the tanning ingredient in spray tan and self-tan products is completely safe for external use, meaning on the skin. In my experience, the majority of people that go spray tanning go topless, so it’s perfectly alright for the tanning product to get on your nipples, or anywhere else.
The only thing you need to avoid is open wounds or mucus membranes that would allow the solution to get into the bloodstream. This would be your mouth, eyes, vagina, open wounds, etc. Although you can wear a bathing suit or nothing at all, in my experience most ladies wear a simple g-string to protect their body but do not have tan lines.
The reason you want to protect these areas is that DHA has not been FDA approved for internal use, so you want to avoid it getting into the body.
What Happens If You Get Fake Tanner On Your Nipples?
Nothing dramatic will happen, however, your areola (the soft circle around your nipple) will likely darken. This skin is softer and tends to absorb more DHA, leading to a darkening that can look a little bit unnatural, although not overly so. The skin is also not even, which can lead to the solution not applying evenly from the machine or the airbrush gun.
However, don’t be worried, as it won’t cause any harm, and it will only get slightly darker.
How Can I Keep Spray Tan Off My Nipples?
There are many people that want their breasts to be tanned, but don’t want to worry about their nipples getting overly tanned. If you don’t want to wear a bathing suit top, there are two great ways to protect your nipples.
Use petroleum jelly, like this stuff from Amazon. Take a small dap and rub it just around the areola. The petroleum jelly will create a simple barrier keeping the bronzer and DHA from applying to the area. After you get done, or once you get home, you can simply wipe it off.
Use a simple nipple protection sticker, like these from Amazon. They are made to keep your nipples down under your bra, or to protect them from chafing when you’re running, dancing, or out on a cold day. However they are also perfect for protecting from the DHA, if you don’t want your nipples to get overly tanned.
What If You’re Breastfeeding?
I am not giving medical advice here of any kind, just sharing!
It is generally considered safe to spray tan while you’re breastfeeding. However, you don’t want to breastfeed immediately after a spray tan for a few reasons. First, you want to protect your nipples using one of the steps I outlined above so that your baby doesn’t swallow any. You’ll also want to thoroughly wash your entire breast before feeding your baby for the same reason.
Typically you leave the solution on your body for 4-12 hours so the DHA has time to develop, so you’ll want to take this into consideration.
Just be sure that you don’t have any remaining solution on your body when you go to breastfeed. It may be simplest to just wear a simple bikini top into your spray tan session so you don’t have to stress about this.
