When To Get A Spray Tan Before An Event
You have a big event coming up, and you’re wondering how far in advance you should schedule a spray tan.
Don’t worry, you’re certainly not alone. This is one of the questions I probably get the most often.
If you’re following your regular tanning routine, it doesn’t matter when you get your spray tan.
If you’re getting a spray tan or airbrush for a big event like a wedding, reunion, or party, timing that tan can be crucial to looking your absolute best.
When is the best time to get a spray tan before a big event?
Two to three days before an event is the best time to get a spray tan.
You really want your tan to be at that perfect point where it is fully developed, yet not at all unnatural-looking. We’ll go into this in more detail later.
How Long Before An Event Should I Get A Spray Tan?
I spoke with several people I know in the spray tan industry, including professional airbrushers, and they all came to about the same conclusion.
The best time to get a spray tan is 2-3 days before your big event. This allows sufficient time for the DHA (we’ll discuss this further in a moment) to fully develop the tan on your skin.
It also gives you enough time to get a few showers to rinse off any bronzer or guide color. After about 3 days, the tan should be fully developed, and your skin should be a beautiful golden brown.
Now that we know the basic answer, let’s go into a tiny bit more detail about why this is the case.
First of all, remember that just about all self-tanning products, including spray tans, contain an ingredient called DHA.
DHA is actually a type of sugar that, when it comes in contact with the amino acids in the dead skin cells on your body, it chemically reacts. This reaction forms a type of pigment that just sits on your skin.
Two key aspects are essential to this article. First, DHA takes time to form the tan. Most of this process occurs within the first 8-12 hours after your spray tan appointment, which is why you should avoid showering right away.
The second important thing to note is that the tan you achieve from fake tanning products is located on the outer layer of your skin, which is why you need to reapply every 6-10 days, depending on the product’s quality and your pre- and post-tanning routine.
The reason 3 days is a sweet spot for tanning before an event is that it allows enough time for the tan to develop fully, but not enough time for the vibrancy of the color to fade.
If you do have a big event coming up, be sure to schedule your spray tan with plenty of lead time! I know the salon I go to gets busy in the summer, especially mid-week, because everyone wants to get their tans in before weekend events!
Alternatively, if you prefer not to go the spray tan route, you can opt for a high-quality self-tanner instead. This will allow you to develop a naturally looking self-tan with only a day or so’s notice. My favorite self-tanner by far is this one from Amazon.
How Long Before A Wedding Should I Get A Spray Tan
I wanted to throw this in as well because I have a lot of people ask about this specifically. The answer is essentially the same, you want to get the tan about 3 days before the event.
The only extra thing you want to think about is being careful with the bronzer/guide color so that you don’t get it on the dress.
This should come off almost entirely with the first shower, but be careful not to put on any clothes you like while you have this guide color on, as it may transfer to your clothes.
Although you can usually get this color out of clothes, I certainly wouldn’t risk it with your wedding dress or anything else you plan to wear.
Can I Get A Spray Tan One Day Before An Event?
You can, however, consider some of the things we discussed above. You want to give the DHA in the tanning solution at least 8-12 hours to develop fully before your first shower. Allowing it another day or so will allow the tan to reach its most natural point.
If you’re wearing a darker dress or outfit and have at least 12 hours before you need to shower for the event, you’ll probably be okay.
Do I Get a Spray Tan on the Same Day as an Event?
This is challenging because the tanning solution needs at least 8 hours to develop fully. So, the only way this might work is if you had a spray tan appointment first thing in the morning and your event wasn’t until late that evening.
Then you could give the tan 6-8 hours to develop, and then shower and get ready for your event.
If your event is on the same day and you really want some color, you may be better off using an instant tan or bronzer instead of trying to get a spray tan.
Alright, I really hope you enjoyed this quick guide. If you did, please consider sharing!
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