Not sure where to post this, but I haven't had much luck in finding tan-related forums, so...

I'm a 20-year-old male, dark blonde hair, blue eyes, fair-skinned (Skin-type analysis was type 2). Don't really have freckles at all. I decided to try tanning about 8 months ago and went the first time in a basic bed for 5 minutes, then 7 minutes, and then (god knows why) they let me go in a stand-up for 8 minutes. I walked out of the tanning place, and walked into pure **** for a week. I itched so badly that I couldn't sleep at night; I kept my head burried in a pillow with tears streaming down my face. If I scratched at all, it would go away for a few seconds, and then come back 300000x worse. No OTC topical creams helped at all (most made it worse).

A friend of mine talked me into trying again recently (started about two weeks ago), so I started at 8 minutes in a basic bed (won't ever touch high-intensity again ) and am now at 11 minutes. The night of tanning, I itch a bit (absolutely nothing, at all, by any stretch, anywhere near what I felt 8 months ago) and turn red for a couple of hours, but by the next day it's pretty much gone and I can go again the following day with no real problems (so basically, I'm going every other day for 10 minutes, about to bump it up to 12 tomorrow).

My question is: how long does it normally take for a fair-skinned person to see results? I think I can see very minor coloration (top of my forearms used to be noticably more pigmented than the bottom, and now they're even... biceps used to be ghost white and are now pretty much even with the rest), but I can't really tell if it's tan or just a lingering pink shade.
As far as whether or not I can tan outside: I have no idea. Outside? What's that? I was very tan when I was much younger, but I don't know what, if anything, that says.

Friend says he can tell, but I'm skeptical. I guess I really want to know whether or not it's worth it to pay for and go for a second month, or if I should be able to tell at the end of this month whether or not there's a point in continuing.

I've used lotions every time (god knows what), and I'm going to try my friend's tingle toward the end of this coming week to see what happens. I figure, after the **** I went through 8 months ago, nothing lotion-induced could possibly compare.

_________________
[ This Message was edited by: Drakensoul on 2004-12-26 16:52 ]

I'm a Type 2 and I started at 8 minutes in a regular 20 minute bed. After 1 week of going every other day, I bumped up 1 minute to 9 minutes. This continued for 2 months, bumping only 1 minute every week. Go slow! This is not a race. Why you were put into a high intesity stand-up for 8 minutes is beyond me. I would seriously consider changing salons. You should never get a burn!
Absolutely do not use a tingle until you reach a plateau and can get no darker.
Use a good Level/Stage One lotion. Halo would be a great starter for you as it cuts some of the UVB and helps keep you from burning.
Make sure that you keep your skin hydrated with a moisturizer. (aloe based would be good)
Try tanning in a high pressure unit to get some color as well. Note I said High Pressure (UVA) and not High Intensity (UVB) Usually a mixture of the two will give you the best color.

If you use regular bar soap switch to a moisturizing shower gel you may be drying your skin out with regular soap. After I switched I did not itch as much after tanning.

Good Luck and stick with it ---- Its fun ----

Well, I'm not really itching that much..
I'm up to 15 minutes and I just don't really notice any color.. but I keep going up in time and I'm not burning..

Is it possible to slowly be able to go up in time, not burn, and still not tan?

i was like that but i bought a good lotion and i started to brown up nice my sides tho i need to get hahah looks sorta weird cuz im all tanned but my sides are white haha i need to tan with arms up or somethin to even it all out

Try a good lotion with a bronzer..Halo by DS might be great for you..small SPf and le' bronzage...(what am I working for DS today???..Rah! Rah!) ABSOlutley Run....don't walk away from that bottle of tingle lotion your pal is trying to thrust on you. Patience People!