Imagine for a moment that it is 2013 again. Homecoming is tomorrow night and you and your bestie have decided that its the perfect opportunity to try the $15 self-tanner you just got. The next morning you wake up expecting to be a bronzed goddess but to your horror, your hand are orange. Orange AND splotchy.
We've all done it. We have either made a mistake self-tanning or we have a spray tan horror story that ended with orange hands. You could consider it a faux tan right of passage.
Lucky for you those days are in the past and here at The Sunless Chateau we take the subject of hands very seriously. With airbrush tanning application technique does play a key role in how your hands look, but that doesn't mean you are off the hook entirely. What you do in between getting sprayed and your first rinse holds just as much, if not more, importance as how your tan was applied.
So let's talk about how to achieve the perfect hands:
- No skin to skin contact. Spray tan loves palms, that's why we always apply a barrier cream before beginning your service. Always bring long pants and a long shirt to wear after your appointment to avoid accidentally touching your hands to your developing tan. 9/10 times when someone has weird spots on their palms it is from skin to skin contact. Set yourself up for success by bringing the proper post tan clothes.
- Communicate to your technician if you have dry hands. Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis commonly affect the hands and can cause the skin to be extra dry. Excess hand washing and exposure to different cleaning products can cause increased dryness, or maybe you simply haven't found a hand cream that works for you yet. Whatever the situation if you know you have dry hands, LET YOUR TECH KNOW. A good technician can use that information to adjust their spray technique to prevent the tan from over saturating in those spots.
- No water exposure during development. I know, I know, no one likes the idea of going 8 hrs without washing their hands; but it really does make a difference in the final product when you expose your tan to water too soon in the development process. So grab some wet wipes to clean your palms and leave those dishes until the morning unless you want your hands to be 2 shades lighter than the rest of your body, or even worse-streaky.
- Aftercare. It is so important after your tan that you keep you hands moisturized. Due to hand washing your hands will always fade faster than the rest of your body. Keeping them moisturized with a tan safe hand cream can help slow down that process.
- Worst Case Scenario: you followed none of your pre-rinse aftercare instructions and you have palms the color of a jack-o-lantern, its time for a Fresh Start. Fresh Start is our tan remover designed to remove even the most stubborn of spray tans. Simply let it sit on the affected area and then scrub it off with an exfoliating bit to be good as new.
Follow these tips and never feel the panic of orange palms again, and as always your Sunless artist is always available for any additional questions or help you may need.