Hi all,
So I have tanned before and I have fairly sensitive skin with lots of freckles, but usually after I continue tanning in the bed and slowly building up my time, my skin gets use to the UV rays. It takes time but I can usually get there. Until now..
It all started a few months ago when I was trying to build up a base tan before summer and after about a week or so of tanning I noticed that I was getting this rash looking thing on my chest. It's itchy, red, blotchy patches, and started inflamed, but faded after a few days. I wondered what it was, but I was too wrapped up with finals to really do any research about it so I just stopped tanning after the month was up.
Now about a week ago I started tanning again and at first everything was fine. I started with only 6 minutes and built up 1 minute at a time and now I'm at 10. The past 2 times I've come back with my chest itching like crazy and red blotchy patches on my chest ONLY again. I'm only in town until August before I have to go back to school and just bought the $65 lotion (can you believe this was the on-sale price) so I really want to get the best out of my membership and be looking like a tan goddess if possible.
I looked at other forums to see if I could find the answer to my problem. I don't think it's from sweat seeping into my pores or anything because the place I go to has really high powered fans in the beds and I'm never sweating when I get out. Also I think its weird that it happened on my chest only, the part of my body that's not in direct contact with the bed, as I tan with my stomach facing out.
It might be the lotion I use, but when this happened a few months ago, I switched lotions to one without bronzers in it and I still got the red spots. Also all the other times I tanned BEFORE I got the red spots, about a week ago, I had been using a lotion with bronzers and my skin was fine.
The only medication I'm on is the birth control, Zara. I was not on birth control when I first began tanning about a year ago, and no bumps occurred. I don't know if there's any connection there. I think I read something about birth control messing up the skin when tanning, but I'm not sure if its true.
Sorry this is a lot of information, but I just want to get the most accurate answer to my question: Why do I get red blotchy spots on my chest after tanning, are there any ways to treat it besides just waiting, taking hot baths and putting non-scented lotion/ aloe-vera on it? And how can I prevent it from happening the next time I tan?
Thanks for the help,
Sarah