Your First Sunbed Session: What to Expect, and How to Prep
Getting started
Your first sunbed session: what to expect
First sessions are short, a little awkward and over before you know it. Here is what happens at the salon, how to prepare the day before, and how to make sure the colour you build is worth having.
18+the legal minimum age for a sunbed in the UK
Shortfirst sessions, set by the salon for your skin
The salon sets your session, not you. Expect a short first session based on your skin type and their beds.
Colour builds over sessions. You will not walk out tanned after the first one, and that is normal.
Going red is going backwards. A burn sets your colour back. Short and regular beats long and rare.
Part one
What happens at the salon
A good salon will ask for ID if you look young, because sunbeds are 18+ across the UK. Many will ask a few questions about how your skin reacts to the sun, so they can set a sensible session length for you and for their beds, which vary in strength.
You will be shown how the bed works, given eye protection, and left in a private room. Then the timer starts.
Lay-down or stand-up?
Both tan you. A stand-up bed means nothing presses against your skin, so there are no pale pressure marks on your shoulders or bum. A lay-down bed is more relaxing. Most people try both and stick with the one they like.
What to wear
Whatever you are comfortable in, and whatever tan lines you are happy with. Many people tan in the underwear or swimwear they will be wearing on holiday.
Goggles
Wear the eye protection the salon gives you, every time. Closing your eyes is not the same thing.
Part two
The day before
Exfoliate gently. A day before, not the same day. You tan on fresh, even skin. Prep and exfoliation has the details.
Shave or wax ahead of time. Give freshly waxed skin time to settle before you tan it.
Moisturise. Hydrated skin tans more evenly than dry skin.
Part three
On the day
Clean skin. Make-up and perfume off. Many salons ask for this anyway.
Accelerator on, thin. A 10p-sized amount of cream per area, or 5p of Sun Sauce, spread until it disappears. A minute or two before you get on the bed is fine.
Lips and tattoos. Many people cover them; ask your salon what they recommend.
Stick to the time you are given. More minutes is not more colour. It is more risk of going red.
Long and rare
Red
Extra minutesBig gapsPeeling
Redness and peeling take your colour with them.
VS
Short and regular
Base
Salon's timeA day betweenAccelerator on
Colour that builds over two to three weeks and stays even.
Part four
Afterwards
Your colour keeps developing for a day or two after a session, so do not judge it in the salon mirror. If you used a bronzer-free cream there is nothing to wash off, so shower whenever you like, lukewarm, then moisturise.
Most people see a difference after two to three sessions and have a proper base in two to three weeks. How many sessions it takes has the week by week plan.
To be clear about what we are not saying: no cream changes how much UV your skin receives, and none of this replaces your salon's advice. If your skin burns easily and rarely tans, talk to the salon before you start. A burn is not a tan explains why going red sets you back.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How long should my first sunbed session be?
Your salon sets it based on your skin type and the strength of their beds, and first sessions are short. Stick to the time you are given; extra minutes do not mean extra colour.
Will I be tanned after my first sunbed?
Probably not visibly. Colour builds over sessions and keeps developing for a day or two afterwards. Most people notice a difference after two to three sessions.
What should I put on before a sunbed?
Clean, dry skin and a thin layer of a tanning accelerator, a 10p-sized amount per area for a cream. Make-up and perfume off.
Is a lay-down or stand-up sunbed better for a first session?
Both work. Stand-up beds avoid pale pressure marks, lay-down beds are more relaxing. Follow your salon's session time for whichever you choose.
