Will Fake Tan Cover Varicose Veins?
Being able to relax in the summer, poolside in your costume, should not make you feel self-conscious.
There is no need to let blemishes and imperfections stand in your way of enjoying your summer, wearing high shorts and pretty sundresses, especially when there are easy ways to cover these blemishes up.
Many women have varicose veins on their legs.
This can be a real put-off when thinking about walking around in summer clothes and can cause a host of insecurities.
Luckily, self-tanner can help cover up varicose veins if applied correctly.
So, will fake tan or self-tanner help cover varicose veins?
Yes, fake tanning products like self-tanner or spray tan can help to reduce the visibility of varicose veins. However, preparation and proper application are really important.
Not only will the self-tanner help cover up varicose veins, but it will also give you a gorgeous, radiant glow without requiring hours in the sun.
What Are Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins are fairly common. They are enlarged, twisted veins that become visible under the skin.
Superficial veins can become varicosed, but the most noticeable are the veins in the legs.
They are more common in the legs because walking and standing cause an increase in pressure in the veins found in your lower body.
Most commonly, varicose veins are only a cosmetic problem. For more extreme cases, varicose veins can cause discomfort and aching pain.
Self-care is the best option when dealing with varicose veins — elevating your legs, light exercise, and compression stockings can help prevent them from getting worse. However, it will not make them disappear completely.
How To Cover Light Varicose Veins
If you have only a mild case of varicose veins, with the veins being only lightly visible, you can get away with a simple application of a self-tanning product.
Your best bet would be to use an aerosol self-tanner. Spray the aerosol product onto your hands and rub it gently in small circles over the visible varicose veins.
This will leave your legs looking smoother and more even, giving them a sort of airbrushed look, perfect for summer outings.
How To Cover Varicose Veins With Self-Tanner
Prominent, more visible varicose veins can be a little trickier to cover. A once-off application of self-tanner might not cover them completely.
What you need when using self-tanner to cover varicose veins:
- Self-tanner lotion (lotion works best as it is easier to spread)
- Body scrub
- Your favorite body makeup
- Waterproof concealer
- Makeup brush
- Tanning Mitt
- Airbrush leg spray (if you really want a flawless look)
Covering Varicose Veins with Self-Tan Lotion – Step By Step
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to completely cover your varicose veins, giving you perfect summer legs:
Step 1: Exfoliate
Thoroughly exfoliate your legs the day before applying self-tanner.
Areas such as the heels and knees are notorious for having an excess amount of dead skin.
This excess dead skin will cause your tan to appear blotchy and have some orange streaks.
Step 2: Shave
Shave the day before applying the self-tanning lotion. It will be nearly impossible to apply self-tanning lotion evenly over leg hairs, resulting in an uneven application.
Step 3: Apply self-tan lotion
Using a tanning mitt, spread the self-tanning lotion all over both of your legs in small, circular motions.
Ensure an even spread over all areas to achieve a smooth, blended appearance. A tanning mitt really helps ensure the self-tanner is applied evenly.
Beauty By Earth is my favorite self-tanning lotion, and I think it would work great on varicose veins. If you prefer a gradual tan, I highly recommend Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Milk.
Step 4: Let the tanning lotion dry
Wait for the product to dry before touching anything. Wet self-tanning lotion can easily stain clothes and linen.
Step 5: Use concealer
Use body makeup that closely matches your skin color.
Use a makeup sponge or your fingers to apply a light layer of the concealer over the areas of your legs with varicose veins.
Make sure to blend the concealer over a large portion to make it look more natural, and don’t forget to blend in the edges.
Using a thin makeup brush, apply a shade lighter waterproof concealer to the body makeup.
Apply this to the varicose veins in small, thin lines to further conceal them.
Using a makeup sponge or your fingers, blend the concealer into the rest of the leg to achieve a perfectly blended and natural appearance.
Step 6: Maintain your tan
You will need to apply the self-tanning lotion every one to two weeks to maintain a gorgeous tan.
You only really need to use concealer when going out with your legs showing, and you don’t want your varicose veins to be noticeable.
Be sure to self-tan the rest of your body to match your legs. Who doesn’t want a gorgeous summer tan from head to toe?
Dos and Don’ts When Self-Tanning Your Legs
Now that you know how to cover varicose veins on your legs, it is a good idea to know what else you should do, and what you should not do, when applying self-tanner to your legs.
If you’re looking for great products for self-tanning your legs, check out my guide here.
Dos
• Do only apply the self-tanner in small sections. Start from your upper legs and blend your way down to your feet. Blending down toward your feet will create a natural-looking tan, without you walking around with orange feet.
• Do moisturize your legs an hour before applying self-tanner. This creates the perfect canvas for the self-tanner to react with your skin. Dry skin will result in a streaky, blotchy tan.
• Do remember to remove old self-tanner from your skin before applying a new one. An exfoliating mitt and body scrub will do the trick perfectly.
• Do choose a self-tanner that matches your skin type. One that is too dark will look horribly unnatural, and one that is too light will make hardly any difference at all.
• Do remember to give your self-tanner some time to dry before getting dressed or sitting down. Wet self-tanner can create a mess when applied to other surfaces.
• Do remember to wash your tanning mitt after each use. If not, residue product from your previous self-tanning application will interfere with how smoothly the new coat is applied.
• Do self-tan the rest of your body to create a flawless tan from head to toe.
Don’ts
• Do not put on clothes straight after self-tanning; once again, this can cause staining and can result in your tan being patchy.
• Do not apply fake tan immediately after shaving or exfoliating. The fake tan will absorb into the open pores and could cause them to clog, leading to a breakout or irritation.
• Do not layer over an old fake tan if you are not using a gradual tanner. The tan will be incredibly blotchy and will fade quite quickly.
• Do not apply too much self-tanner on your first go. Start off small. You can always go back and apply more, but it is difficult to reduce the amount of self-tanner on your skin once it has developed.
Airbrush Self-Tanners vs Self-Tanning Lotion
When it comes to self-tanning your legs to cover up varicose veins, there are pros and cons to using either an airbrush self-tanner or a self-tanning lotion.
Airbrush self-tanners are ideal for achieving a light, even coverage. This type of self-tanner is fairly simple to use and is a quick and easy application.
It helps to cover areas evenly and has a glowing finish. However, airbrush self-tanners will not give a thick, complete coverage. It is best suited for legs with only slight varicose veins.
It can be used if you aren’t completely phased by your varicose veins and only want a slight coverage.
Self-tanning lotion is one of the more popular options. It is easy to apply if you use a tanning mitt, which helps to achieve a very smooth, blended coverage.
Self-tanning lotion is suitable for use over more prominent varicose veins, as it provides a thicker coverage, depending on the product used.
It can be applied all over the body, allowing you to achieve a summer tan from head to toe.
Whichever you decide to use, and if you choose to use it on the rest of your body, just remember that you will need a lighter shade of self-tanner for your face.
Using the same self-tanner on your face that you use for the rest of your body can cause it to look darker than the rest of your skin, and nobody wants to walk around with an overly tanned face and a lighter body.
Achieving The Perfect Coverage
Finding the confidence to step out into the sun in your favorite bikini doesn’t have to cost you a heap of money.
You can achieve it all at home by using a self-tanner to cover up blemishes and flaws, such as varicose veins.
At the end of it all, varicose veins are really common and should not be something to be ashamed of.
However, many women choose to have airbrushed, flawless-looking legs to boost their confidence, and that is perfectly okay!
There is nothing wrong with wanting a little bit of help from a cosmetic product to brush up on your look, and self-tanning lotions and sprays give you the perfect opportunity to create glowing, flawless legs that you can flaunt around all summer long.
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