As a working model I always have to be at the top of my game - and the competition is fierce! Having eczema and skin discoloration makes it much more of a challenge. What I’ve always craved was an even skin tone from head to toe. I decided to give spray tanning a shot. However, I always took for granted that only pale, fair skinned gals got spray tans. I decided to take a risk and see how spray tanning could help me.

With a few swimsuit assignments coming up I became that much more convinced that spray tanning could not only help me achieve an overall uniform skin color but hopefully cover up the stretch marks on my buttocks as well. I searched online for the best spray tanning salon in my area and went with the company that had the most positive reviews. I called the company and explained my fears: that I would end up orange instead of creating a natural looking brown shade that matched my existing skin color. The woman on the phone was very helpful and assured me that they worked with brown-skinned women all the time, not just the fair-skinned. I made my appointment for the next day.

Following their instructions, I arrived with my hair pulled away from my face and wore dark, loose fitting clothing (to prevent staining afterwards). I opted to go nude to avoid tan lines. After undressing in the room the female technician explained the process. I stepped in front of two large vents, which put out cold air, while the technician inserted the shade into her airbrush machine. During the spray tan process she gave me instructions for what to do with my arms, hands, body, feet, legs, etc. Each time I took a new position, she gently airbrushed me. The whole process took 10 minutes. After the spraying was done, she placed me in front of a fan for two minutes to get as dry as possible.

Because the spray tan contains DHA, which is a sugar based derivative, I was a bit sticky and uncomfortable, especially when I put my underwear and clothes back on. I was told the color would develop after 4-6 hours and to avoid taking a shower for 24 hours. I was given a set of rules to follow to help preserve my tan, which included avoiding exfoliation of any kind completely, only using body wash and body butter for moisturizing and avoiding loofahs and excessive sweating. The next morning I awoke to my newly bronzed look. While the spray tan didn’t cover up my stretch marks as I had hoped, the major discoloration on my torso was gone and for the first time in my life I was one color all over! Needless to say, I got a major confidence boost and had no problems at all with wearing a swimsuit to my castings and photoshoots. The color came out so good that none of my friends could even tell when I went to a wedding a few days later.

I would refer any brown-skinned beauty to try spray tanning. The only downside is that not being able to exfoliate can be quite a pain. With my eczema I found my skin really itchy and drier than normal, which required a lot of body butter. After about two weeks I couldn’t stand the itchy feeling anymore and got a Dead Sea salt body scrub to remove the tan and let my skin breathe. But I had a great experience with it otherwise and would gladly do it again.  

Related Articles
	Spray Tans Updated: You Won’t Believe What They Can Do Indoor tanning took a giant leap forward when the spray tan was introduced. You no longer had to expose yourself to harmful UV rays or risk burning under bulbs that were too hot. With the spray tan you no longer had to wonder how old the bulbs in your bed were or if you were getting you money and 30   ...Read more		How to Keep a Sun-Kissed Look All Winter Long You can keep that sun-kissed summer glow all year with a few simple makeup tricks that will have your friends wondering which beach you snuck off to over the weekend. Begin with a self-tanner. There are multiple options for sunless-tanning from spray-on tans in the salon or at home, to tanning   ...Read more