UV tanning
Building colour before a holiday
The most common reason people walk in, and the one where the plan matters most — because the deadline is fixed and skin does not hurry.
Start with the calendar, not the package
How long you have decides everything, and the more expensive package is not automatically the right one. Work backwards from the flight.
| Time you have | Realistic plan | Usually best value |
|---|---|---|
| Four to six weeks | The comfortable version. Short sessions, well spaced, building gradually, with time to adjust the plan if your skin says so. | Monthly unlimited — the daily cap matters more than the total. |
| Two to three weeks | Workable. Still built up rather than jumped into, and still at least 24 hours between sessions. | Fortnightly unlimited, or a minute bundle. |
| Under a week | Be honest with yourself. There is no session length that makes up lost weeks, and trying is how people fly out sore. | A small bundle, plus a bronzer for immediate colour. |
Why patience is not just advice
Colour develops because the skin produces melanin, and that production takes time it cannot be argued out of. Doubling a session does not double the result; it raises the chance of burning, and a burn a week before you fly is the one outcome nobody wants. It also costs you the sessions you would otherwise have used.
How quickly anyone develops colour varies between individuals, so a friend's timetable is not yours. See know your skin type.
The important bit: a sunbed is not sun protection
The fortnight before you fly
- Keep sessions spaced. At least 24 hours, and our unlimited packages cap at 12 minutes a day regardless.
- Moisturise daily. This is what carries the colour to the airport — see making it last.
- Exfoliate early, not late. A gentle scrub two or three days before your last session, not the night before you fly.
- Leave the last session a couple of days clear. Colour is still developing, and you want to travel settled rather than warm.
- Wear the same thing each time. Lines you can explain at home are lines you cannot hide on a beach.
When you get back
Sun, salt water and chlorine all dry skin, and dry skin sheds colour. A few days of proper moisturising on your return keeps what you came home with for noticeably longer.
General information, not medical advice. A sunbed does not protect you from sunburn abroad. If you have any concern about your skin, speak to your GP.