There is a common misconception that tanning or getting exposed to the sun can help in treating acne. While acne marks or pimples might look better after spending a day in the sun and getting tanned, this effect of minimization is very temporary. The effect of the UV rays on the skin can make things worse regarding the health and appearance of the skin.
If someone goes through tanning for too long, it can actually worsen the condition and cause more painful breakouts. The breakouts can be even more severe than before. The sun can provide temporary relief from acne, but in the long run, the acne blemishes can get much worse due to tanning.
In this article, we will talk about how tanning doesn’t help much with acne. Instead, it can make the condition worse. We will also talk about alternative remedies that you can go for to deal with your acne problems.
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Tanning and Acne
The misconception that tanning can help acne derives from the fact that tanning gets the skin darker. That’s why the redness caused by pimples gets less noticeable, and it tends to look like a temporary and improvised curing option.
But there is no confirmation that tanning can also help with actual pimples or acne. Even though the tan might make the acne look less noticeable for the time being, it doesn’t work as a proper and long-term solution at all. It can even cause other skin problems in the long run.
The sunlight can cause damage to the skin, and your immune system will have to have an increased amount of time to heal the damaged parts. Then it gets more difficult for the acne to clear up. You might see that tanning has made your blemishes disappear for a few days, but they will come back after that by getting more noticeable and painful than before.
Getting exposed to the sun at first seems to dry up the oils that you have on your skin, but it can actually increase the production of sebum in the long run. Especially this happens more to people that have oily skin, which is more prone to acne. After a tanning session, your skin might have an immediate effect and lose the oily feeling, but the oil just returns tenfold after some days.
It’s because the UV rays of the sun can cause irreversible damage to the skin that weakens the natural barrier of the skin. The skin loses its moisture as a result and then proceeds to make up for the lost moisture by increasing the production of oil. It can cause sebum overproduction, and the more sebum you will have in your skin, the more it’s likely for your pores to get clogged. So, you can see how tanning can get the condition worse instead of actually helping to deal with it.
Rather, instead of tanning, you should go with light therapy for fighting acne.
Do Tanning Beds Help Acne?
Tanning beds also cause similar issues as the sun. Your immune system will go through an unnecessary strain due to it. Some tanning salons might claim that they can help you cover up your acne scars, but that’s not the actual case. Moreover, your skin can get discolored. Tanning beds also cause damage to the collagen and elastin of the skin which is really necessary for healing acne scars. They also help to keep the skin youthful. So, it’s better to stay away from such devices.
Other Risks of Tanning
Let’s have a look at some of the other downsides of getting your skin tanned-
UV Rays
The sun has UV rays that make your skin appear red after getting tanned. While a little bit of it might be fine, too much of it can cause long-term damage to your skin. It can also damage the collagen of your skin, which is important for making your skin look youthful. Also, you might start suffering from fine lines and wrinkles prematurely. Also, long-term exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer.
Vitamin D
You might think that the Vitamin D you will get from the sunlight, but you won’t be able to get sufficient vitamin D for your body from sunlight. Thinking otherwise will not be efficient for your body at all. So, it’s important that you get your necessary vitamin D from foods such as-
- Egg Yolks
- Oily fish like Salmon and Sardines
- Red Meat
- Liver
- Fortified foods like breakfast cereals
Sensitivity to Medication
If you go through acne medications like Accutane, it can cause sun sensitivity. Also, other medications like benzoyl peroxide can increase sun sensitivity. These medications dry up sebum and increase the rate of exfoliation and cell growth. It can make the skin highly vulnerable to UV rays.
Apart from these, prolonged exposure to the sun can cause collagen damage, hyper-pigmentation, etc.
Proper Treatment Options for Acne
Some acne treatments that you should go for are-
Acne Facials and Hydrafacials
Acne facial is a great option for treating acne. This treatment works through skin cleansing, and then the skin is exfoliated by using light glycolic acid treatment. It also helps diminish acne scars. Also, steam and extraction processes are used to eliminate active lesions of acne. Then a purifying mask helps soothe the skin.
Hydrafacials also work in a similar way to deal with acne breakouts. They also provide an excellent remedy for acne.
Light Therapy
Light therapy is one of the best therapies out there, and it can also help with acne. It works by shrinking sebaceous glands and killing the bacteria that cause acne. This way it helps the skin recover from breakouts. Red light therapy can penetrate your skin deeply to decrease sebum production. Blue light therapy will penetrate your pores, and help kill the bacteria that cause acne. Light therapy can also help treat inflammation caused by acne breakouts.
Topical and Oral Acne Medications
You can go for various prescription and over-the-counter acne medications to get rid of acne. Retinoids, Benzoyl Peroxide, Minocycline, Tetracycline, etc. can help treat the blemishes caused by acne.
Final Words
If you suffer from acne, make sure to go for medications that are certified to help you with the blemishes, redness, inflammation, and other problems. You can go for treatment options like light therapy that can help you a lot in getting rid of the condition totally. But make sure that you are not getting yourself tanned for getting rid of acne, as it doesn’t help at all. Instead, it increases the problems even more and can worsen your condition.
