If you start tanning, you may notice little white spots appearing to form on your skin. These spots result from a skin condition called Tinea versicolor. Tinea versicolor causes patches of skin that are darker and lighter than normal skin and is especially noticeable when the skin tans. The word "versicolor" means "different colors." The fungus that causes tinea versicolor interferes with pigmentation. As a result, patches of skin will not tan as well. Generally, this condition will only become noticeable when the skin starts to tan.
UV, or ultraviolet, rays are the light that causes tanning indoors in a tanning bed or outside in the sun. It's very frustrating to have paid for home tanning equipment or a club membership to be able to do indoor tanning and end up looking spotty. People with these white spots are often self conscious about their appearance and tanning makes it even worse.
Tanning TIps for Handling White Spots
Here are some tanning tips that can help people with tinea who want a tan that looks good even with this condition.
- The first tip is to put off tanning until the fungal infection is under control. Since it is a fungus, antibiotics won't work, but there are oral and topical antifungal drugs that do work. The drawback is that they can be pretty expensive and don't work instantly. Even when treatment has been complete, tinea can sometimes return and require more therapy.
- Patches of skin may still not match well even when the fungus is killed, so whether you are going outside or doing indoor tanning, you may also need to use a self tanning lotion or bronzer on the lighter patches to match them to the tanned skin. Darker patches can be concealed with a cover-up type of make up. There are special brands that last for many hours and are waterproof. Investing in these is a good idea, since discoloration can persist quite a long time.
- Another tanning tip is to tan less than you normally would, since the deeper the tan, the more obviously the discolorations will stand out. This can make covering the color discrepancies easier. When the skin is healed, it will take time for the formerly infected spots to catch up, so you will need to be patient.
- If you have these white spots, curing it means taking or applying your medication as directed and as long as directed. Don't stop taking the medication before you finish following the entire prescription, even if the spots appear to go away. If you don't completely kill the fungus, it can grow back after you let up on the medication – so you need to make sure you finish off your course of medication.
- Tinea versicolor grows best on oily and moist skin, so good hygiene and oil controlling cosmetics can also help.
To summarize these tanning tips: if you choose to keep indoor tanning while you have tinea, minimize the problem with tanning lotions and concealers, use the antifungal drugs prescribed for you and keep your skin dry and clean. Don't despair, because this condition is not permanent.
Aaron Andrews is a tanning bed enthusiast. He has worked in a number of tanning salons since 1986, and then for a tanning bed manufacturer and tanning bed supply company. He now writes indoor tanning tips articles about his experiences to help you make the best tanning decisions and find the best sunless tanning lotion. Aaron operates TanIndoors.com - a site dedicated to improving your indoor tanning experience.
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