Tan B Gone

March 26, 2005 6:37 PM

Will a glycolic resurfacing peel make a tan go away faster, or are there proven methods to reduce an accidental tan? How long does a one time tan last?
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket to health (4 comments total)

i wouldn't do anything. Your skin is damaged already--anything you do besides moisturizing will further damage it. (i'd say a week or less for a tan if you stay out of the sun)
posted by amberglow at 6:50 PM on March 26, 2005

A deep tan or sunburn can leave lines that last for years. Maybe this varies based on skin tone, but I can tell you that I have bathing-suit tan lines on my back from six months ago that are still clearly visible. If you're just worried about looking too tan (the Britney syndrome) then amberglow is right, the bronzey shade does seem to fade away in a week or two.

Your question doesn't mention why you need the tan to go away, but on the off chance that you're concerned about tan lines ruining your look at your wedding or prom or something, tanning a bit more will usually naturally even out the lines. (Of course tanning hurts and ages your skin so proceed with caution.)
posted by bonheur at 7:23 PM on March 26, 2005

If the lines are a problem you can also use makeup to equal out the transition.

I once had a burn on my legs so bad, the lines lasted many years. Fortunately the sun-stroke didn't last more than 24 hours, but the pain lasted about a week.
posted by Goofyy at 5:21 AM on March 28, 2005

If the tan isn't very recent and your skin is not burned or inflamed, you can use glycolic acid or any other exfoliant to hasten the fading. Kojic acid and arbutin products (SkinCeuticals has one) will lighten skin safely. Whatever you do, don't use hydroquinone-- it's toxic as all get out and banned in much of the world.
posted by 4easypayments at 10:27 AM on March 28, 2005