Another thing to look into is your family history. If you have a history of skin cancer and/or extremely fair skinned, a tanning salon may not be the best option for you. However, if you still prefer a tan instead of your pasty white color, a sunless tanning lotion or airbrush tan will be the best and safest option.

You may also want to consider any medications you take as you prepare to go to a tanning salon. Some prescriptions can cause photosensitivity, a condition that makes you more likely to burn in the sun or tanning bed. Photosensitivity may also cause rashes after sun or tanning bed exposure. Certain antibiotics and other drugs can cause this effect.

Once you have the all clear to tan, you need to take a few more steps to prepare to go to a tanning salon. Several weeks before you tan, you should start gently exfoliating the skin each day. This means scrubbing off the dead layers of skin, and can be accomplished through a number of exfoliate creams or through bath puffs, which are little puffs made of nylon mesh.

After exfoliating you will want to apply a moisturizer all over your body. Giving your skin the hydration you need will help stop irritation from happening and will help prevent damage to your skin. Apply the skin in a circular motion for it to be adsorbed better into the skin.

One decision you will need to make based on the Tanning Salon you go to will be to use a Tanning Bed or a Stand up Tanning Bed. A traditional tanning bed is more relaxing which makes for a more enjoyable experience. But the Stand up Tanning Bed can offer better results. With the standing room you are able to move around and raise your arms up which of course you cannot do in a traditional tanning bed. However one downfall to the stand up tanning bed is it can get rather uncomfortable and boring.

As you prepare to go to a tanning salon, don’t apply any products like astringents that contain alcohol. This will dry the skin and make it less able to tan. Dry skin often reflects UV rays.

You may also want to find out the number of times you will need to use a tanning salon before obtaining the desired results. In all cases, don’t expect an instant tan. The skin will gradually darken over a number of days. Those with lighter skin will likely need more visits to a salon to achieve a deep tan.

On the day of your Tanning appointment, exfoliate gently, using little pressure. You do not want to damage or irritate the skin before you subject it you UV rays from the tanning bed. Use your moisturizer (make sure it has no sunscreen in it otherwise it will defeat the purpose of going to the tanning salon) in a circular motion all over your body. Check with your tanning salon about a tanning lotion to help with your results.