Is It Ok To Use A Sunbed If You Suffer From Acne? (Well It Depends)

One of the main reasons that people tan is to improve their appearance. Studies show that tanning can make people appear thinner, more awake, and generally more well within themselves.

Tanning not only makes you look good, but the positive impact that it has on your physical appearance can make you feel good too.

One thing that can be disheartening to users of sunbeds is if they have acne. If the rest of your body is making you feel positive then it can be annoying to have acne getting in the way.

However, a lot of people believe that tanning can actually be very beneficial for improving the look of acne, but is this really the case?

When it comes to tanning and helping the appearance of your acne, it can be a bit hit and miss. When you initially begin tanning it is true that tanning will make your acne look a lot better.

This is because tanning will hide any redness that makes spots stand out and camouflages them within your new golden look. This may be perfect and exactly what you are looking for, as it means that you can treat them without worrying about them.

Initially, when you start tanning, you will notice that your acne is clearing up slightly. This will be especially true for anyone that suffers from oily skin which can be a leading cause in recurring acne.

Tanning via sunbeds will dry your skin slightly, which will prevent all the excess oil from clogging your pores and causing acne.

However, though this can initially help your skin, it can also make acne worse. If you continue to use sunbeds and do not do the necessary steps to rehydrate your skin, then your skin will start to overcompensate and produce more oils.

Not only will this make your skin appear shiny and oily, but it will also cause your pores to get clogged and more spots will begin to appear.

So if you are going to tan as a solution for your acne, remember it is not a long term solution and also remember to moisturise when necessary.

But What If You Have Acne Scars?

If you are someone that suffers from acne scarring, then it is advised that you avoid using the sunbed. As you know, one of the main appeals of using a sunbed is that it increases the amount of melanin in your skin.

This is great for if you want your skin to look darker, however, it won’t be as appealing if you’re someone who suffers from acne scars.

Acne scars, or any other scars, are already usually more pigmented than other parts of your body. The reason why scars are often more pigmented than other parts of your body is because they are in the healing stage for quite a long time.

This means that your body is sending more blood to that area of your body, making them appear more prominent. When you tan and your body gets that extra melanin, this goes to your scars too.

If they’re already quite dark, this is going to make them stand out even more, which may make them look worse.

Tanning can also slow down the healing process of your scars, meaning that you’ll have to deal with them for a lot longer.

Any skin that is scarred is also more prone to irritation, meaning that tanning can make them look red and inflamed, which may make them look far worse than how they actually look.

However, this really depends on the age of your scars. Older scars would have already healed substantially and will not be as prominent when exposed to the UV rays.

Really you should look at how your skin always reacts during normal exposure to sun and then imagine it in comparison to how much stronger sun rays are.

Only you know how your skin reacts and so only you will have an idea of the kind of outcome you’re looking at.

You can continue to read about sunbeds by clicking here.

Disclaimer: It is best to not use sunbeds at all as they are proven to cause damage to your skin and health.