Spray tan or sun bed??

Hiya! I quite often get spray tans... having said that I have decided to go for the sunbed option for my own wedding. This was on the advice of my photographer, who thinks spray tans always look fake on photographs, and that the camera will pick up on any blemishes/white patches and make your photos look bad! I had never been on a sunbed before, but went on a few this summer to practice, and found it to be easy, relaxing and give a natural, even tan which you can gradually build up to stay safe. In my experience with fake tans, the safest spray tans are those which a person actually sprays on to you - don't go for a booth which sometimes can mess up! Make sure you don't wash for 24 hours after a spray tan to be on the safe side - often if you even rinse your hands they will go white at a quicker rate than the rest of your body. Also, you often get the tan 'rubbing off' even a couple of days later, and I don't want to risk this on my white dress!! Having said all of this, my friend had a spray tan before her wedding and looked lovely - I think it's just personal preference and I don't want to take a risk! ? xxx

I'm sunbedding but not madly. Book 30 mins to use over 4 weeks so just jump in everytime I get a couple of minutes. Not for a tan but just for an even colour.

I will be taking a trip to costa del sunbed shop on the run up to my wedding for a healthy glow and to stop me getting sunburnt on honeymoon!

Oh Sam I just don't understand why anyone wants a spray tan, they just look chavvie and tacky. You'll be orange (or worse) in the photos too! My god daughter took my advice and always thanks me now when we look at the photos and video. I'm sure you'll look much better in your natural skin colour, so please save your money.

Sunbed!! Providing you dont overdo them you will be fine ?

Surely any decent photographer would be able to sort this out when editing?

I have had a few spray tans before and none of them have had a good enough effect for me to want one for my wedding day so I did use the sunbeds a few times.

I used sunbeds before a holiday to Egypt to help stop me burning while I was there and i did go a healthy glow, but for my wedding I will be lily white- that's the colour I am so I might as well look like me. I have had spray tans in the past and some have been good and some not so good. I would suggest getting a trial one ASAP if you are intending to go down this road.

I'm sunbedding but not frequently because I have heard of a lot of people where the spray tan rubbed onto their dress. However I think Flowmojo on here had one and hers stayed put

I'll be sunbedding it but I know how my skin reacts to them so I know I won't burn or anything. Main reason is that I don't want fake tan to rub off on dress if I sweat under stress! And also, I only want a slight colour so will not go mad with the sunbeds, they are bad for you afterall.

I'll be sunbedding it too. Prior to going on holiday I'd normally go on twice a week 6 minutes at a time i.e a Wednesday and a Sunday. A month or two before going away. Then the last time I'd go on would be 9minutes. I'd then just have a nice sun kissed look for going away.x

I can't use sunbeds as I'm pale and freckly and the one time I tried had disastrous results ? but I also find spray tans to be too orangey on me, even the lightest ones. I don't tan naturally at all, just sunburn, peeling then back to white.

I swear by Garnier Summer Body gradual tanner (in Dark as the Light one does nothing even on my pale skin) I use it before bed for 2-3 nights before a night out and it gives me a lovely subtle glow. I'll probably do 3-4 nights before my wedding.

I can't believe your even asking the question. Oh, and spray tans do not "splash". Nor do they make you orange. Best brands are Sienna X or St Tropez.

I can't believe how many people still use sunbeds, but what surprises me even more is that people actually use the words "healthy" and "sunbed" in the same sentence!

Thank you LEN. I thought I was alone then!

I'd rather be pale than get cancer.

Im sunbedding, but not to extremes, i use it once to twice a week for 5-8mins at a time. Im quite fair skinned and really just want a bit of a glow on the day. one thing that put me of spray tans is brides iv seen with marks under their arms on their dresses due to tanning, sounds vein but i want to look perfect on the day x

Thanks Trickers, I had a fake bake spray tan and it was too dark but it was their lightest one. Im staying pale for the wedding because Im so scared it would go wrong ( I dont agree with sunbeds and couldnt use them anyway Im moley n what not). But I will definitely try one you have suggested, always better to go on recommendation x

You need to make sure you prep before a spray tan for it to look ok if in doubt get an airbrush tan although i dont like fake tan anyway i use a sunbed once a week and will keep doing so

I had a Sienna tan 2 days before my wedding and it looked great, it didnt rub off on my dress.

I can't believe how many still use sunbeds despite knowing the dangers....just one time is enough to get skin cancer!

My friend has a spray tan and was the first time she had one. She was the colour of an umpa lumpa the day before her wedding and she was still orange the day of her wedding. To top it off, she had tan marks at the end of the day on her dress. Im quite pale, but it does not bother me. A little blusher to give my cheeks a glow and that will be all the colour I need

Be an English Rose!

THIS!!

It's like saying cigarettes are healthy when you only smoke them just before going on holiday.

WTS, with bells on! Sunbeds cause cancer, cancer kills...not even the perfect glow on my wedding day would be worth the risk.

I thought the same about a tog, but our photographer says that most togs only have time to do colour balancing and contrast, with a bit of airbrushing if required, but most won't 'colour in' any white hands etc on every photo!! xxx

What Trickers et al said about not using sun beds. Why have these suddenly become popular again? Using them just once increases your chance of cancer.

I had a spray tan for my wedding and it didn't rub off/look fake/look orange/look patchy. Am happy to show photographic evidence for anyone who doesn't believe me.

I wouldn't get a spray tan... my friend did it and by the end of the day her dress had huge orange stains under the arms! She had the tan on the Friday and got married on the Sunday, showered 3 times in between and it still rubbed on the dress, completely ruined it!!

I'm using sunbeds, started at 7 weeks, did 6 mins first time then 9 mins 3 times a week, and I have a great tan now! I've used sunbeds before and my skin tans quite easily. It's not dark enough to look too fake or chavvy, but enough to make me look a nice healthy colour, and some people have complimented my tan.

If you don't usually use sunbeds, start with max 6 mins for first few times, then increase to 9 mins. I only use them when I have a special occasion coming up and this always works for me, You could do 9 mins twice a week and still develop a good colour.

Make sure you purchase a tanning lotion though, as if you use sunbeds on dry skin the first 5-7 mins are completely wasted. Just use a light one with no bronzers and no tingle or anything. I can reccomend Pro Tan Sweet Emotion, they're pricey though so eBay shops are your best bet. And make sure you wear eye protection because they really can damage your eyes without protection!

Good luck!

I give up. Each to their own.

I'm not telling anyone what to use or what not to use but if you've never used sunbeds before PLEASE don't start with 6 minutes especially if you have anything other than olive skin.

And it's not true that all fake tans look orange or rub off on your dress. Yes, some do and will but these are invariably cheap ones.

Not that I do anything - pale as owt, me!

I hate to say this but I was actually told by my doctor to have a couple of sunbed sessions before going on holiday. If you want to lessen cancer risk, don't get burnt. To avoid getting burnt, prepare your skin for the sun by gentle moderated exposure beforehand. And high SPF when you're there, obv.

Obviously only use 6 mins if your skin is used to tanning, paler skin should start with 3 mins, but then I wouldn't recommend anyone with that pale skin using them. I know they are bad for you but each to their own, I'm happy to use them for my big day, as are a lot of toher people. My skin never burns, tans easily and I have no moles, so I am definitely in the low risk group.

My friend paid for an expensive branded tan and it still rubbed off, and she had the full body exfoliate and polish before the application! I guess everyone's skin holds on to things differently.

I wish I could go down the pale and beautiful route... unfortunately when I'm pale I look like I'm suffering from a nasty illness! Plus my OH works abroad so is quite tanned and makes me look like a milkbottle!

What branded tan did your friend use?

Exactly. It's true that you can get an increased risk from using a sunbed only once... if you burn. Any kind of burn is going to increase that risk, sunbed or natural. Sunbathing on holiday can increase your risk of cancer!