Do you have fair skin and are looking for a way to get that sun-kissed glow without the risk of burning? Have you ever considered tanning underwater?
It seems like an unusual concept, but can you actually achieve a golden bronze tan while swimming in the pool or ocean? Let’s dive into this unique method of self-tanning and find out: can you tan underwater?
Can You Tan Underwater?
As summer approaches, many people are looking for ways to get a beautiful bronze tan. Sunbathing is one of the most popular methods, but it can be dangerous due to skin-damaging UV rays.
But what about tanning underwater? Can you really achieve a golden glow for swimmers while swimming in the pool or ocean? Let’s take a closer look at this unusual method and find out.
Can You Tan Through Water?
Underwater tanning refers to exposing your skin to sunlight while submerged in water. This can be done in a pool, lake, river, or even the ocean.
The idea behind this unusual form of self-tanning is that water acts as a filter for UV rays and protects your skin from burning by reflecting them off your body instead of directly hitting it.
So, theoretically, if you stay under long enough and reapply sunscreen as needed, you should still be able to get some color without risking sunburn.
How To Tan Underwater
Tanning underwater in a swimming pool can be an excellent alternative to traditional tanning methods.
To begin, remember that you must protect your skin while tanning underwater by wearing a sun-protective material such as a swim shirt or rash guard. This will reduce the chance of getting burned and help maintain an even tan.
Once prepared, you’ll want to make sure the pool water is warm enough so that you feel comfortable when submerged for extended periods of time. You may also find it helpful to use an inner tube or a floating device for comfort.
Once in the water, slowly submerge your body until most of your skin is underwater and exposed to the sunlight hitting the surface of the pool – from here you can relax and enjoy yourself.
Make sure not to stay submerged too long, though – this could cause skin dehydration, which is not ideal for tanning.
For best results, gradually build up exposure time over several days or weeks instead of all at once. If possible, try alternating between larger and smaller amounts of sunlight each day; this will help prevent burning while still allowing some areas more exposure than others so that your tan appears natural and even.
If heading out into direct sunlight after being in the water, always remember to apply sunscreen with SPF 30+ protection before exposing yourself again.
The Benefits Of Underwater Tanning
Underwater tanning has several benefits compared to traditional methods, such as providing protection from harmful radiation due to its reflective nature and lowering body temperature while still allowing sufficient exposure needed for sun-darkening pigment development (melanin production).
Aside from that, being in the water allows us to access contortions that might not otherwise help us access our entire bodies with ease when lying flat on dry land, such as spinning around so that our backs can receive direct sunlight evenly.
Lastly, many consider submerging oneself into seawater more pleasant than baking indoors or outdoors due to natural sea minerals which allegedly have therapeutic properties, benefitting both mind and body health overall.
The Risks Of Underwater Tanning
Despite all its potential benefits, like any other type of sun exposure, there are dangers associated with underwater tanning.
First, ultraviolet radiation doesn’t penetrate deep below the surface, but may reach further when partaking in shallow water.
Clouds play little role in blocking UV rays from reaching one’s person, so taking appropriate measures prior hand like apply sunscreen, becomes essential if attempting artificial pigmentation enhancement.
Finally, excessive heat build up caused by prolonged activities could lead to possible headaches and fatigue buildup overtime, which could possibly impact performance quality negatively when trying to increase muscular endurance during swimming activities.
Does The Skin Tan Quicker When You’re In Water Like A Swimming Pool Or The Ocean?
The answer is that it depends on how long you are in the water and how strong the sun’s rays are.
Generally, your skin will tan quicker when you’re in a swimming pool or ocean because of the reflection from the surface of the water.
This reflection amplifies any direct exposure to UV radiation from the sun, which leads to more efficient tanning.
However, this efficiency varies depending on the amount of time spent under UV radiation and whether you use sunscreen.
If you use sunscreen while swimming or spending time in a body of water, then it can reduce your skin’s exposure to UV rays and limit its ability to tan quickly.
Plus, if you are only exposed secondarily to sunlight reflection from water for a short period without protection (even as little as 30 minutes), that might not necessarily result in a more efficient tan than what could be achieved with longer periods of no sunscreen outside without being submerged in water.
So, it is true that skin may tan quicker when you’re in a swimming pool or ocean due to amplified UV radiation from Sun reflection.
But using sunscreen can mitigate this effect if used consistently over time spent swimming or even just lounging near bodies of water.
Shorter periods with limited direct exposure alone may still take longer for tans to develop than consistent application over longer periods away from pools/oceans entirely.
Can You Tan In Murky Water?
No, you cannot tan in murky water. Tanning involves exposing your skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or a tanning machine, but UV rays cannot penetrate through murky water.
The particles that cause the water to be cloudy make it impossible for any UV radiation to pass through and reach your skin.
Swimming in murky waters is not recommended due to potential hazards such as bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that could cause serious illness.
These contagions can be passed on simply by coming into contact with the affected water source.
Even if the UV rays were able to reach you while submerged in this type of hazardous environment, it would likely still pose a threat to your health due to its unclean nature.
Murky waters also have an effect on visibility when swimming or wading in them, which can lead to dangerous accidents or incidents where one might get lost due to poor vision.
This further highlights why attempting to tan underwater is ill-advised, since being submerged may reduce your ability even further, depending on how cloudy the depth of the area is.
Aside from these risks, there are no benefits derived from trying to tan underwater in murky waters as opposed to doing so above ground, which provides safer and more effective options for achieving desired results without putting yourself at risk.
Therefore it would be best advised against attempting this form of tanning under any circumstances due to the numerous risks associated with doing so both physically and mentally.
Tips For Safely Tanning Underwater
If done correctly, underwater tanning certainly has positives outcomes over traditional methods since much less UV radiation penetrates deeper depths where one practices physical exercise activity properly protected would pose minimal risk consequences of present worries against overexposure of damaging elements among sunshine’s spectrum power levels.
Here a few tips follow to observe whenever attempting to try tans underneath oceans rivers, lakes etc. :
- 1) Wear proper clothing covering ever exposed parts facing toward the sunny side
- 2) Use waterproof 30+ SPF sunscreen lotion protect sensitive areas particularity face neck, arms, legs, chest torso shoulders back side
- 3) Keep eyes shut tightly away bright lights glinting radiance
- 4) Utilize shades hats umbrellas provide additional coverage
- 5) Avoid overly lengthy sessions, longer than an hour every day
- 6) Reapply sunscreen frequently maintains the protective layer of skin intact
- 7) Utilize shade break times to prevent overheating
- 8) Drink plenty of fluids stay hydrated
- 9) Quit anytime feeling uncomfortable
Can You Tan Faster In Water?
It is possible to tan underwater! Tanning in the water allows you to skip the hassle of dealing with sand and hot temperatures of regular beach tanning.
The UV rays can penetrate through water, so it is possible to build a base tan without having direct contact with the sun.
However, it’s not clear if you can actually tan faster in the water compared to other methods of tanning.
Some people swear by swimming laps or staying underwater for long periods of time as an effective way to get a quick bronze glow, but there’s no scientific evidence that backs up these claims.
Due to slower evaporation rates, activities such as swimming may help protect skin from more intense sun exposure, which could result in less burning and quicker tans when used with traditional outdoor sunbathing methods on dry land.
So while some believe their method highly effective, ultimately the majority believes that anything beyond simply lying out in natural sunlight won’t result in significantly darker results or a faster rate of tanning than what one would receive outside the pool or sea.
How Long Should You Stay Underwater When Trying To Catch A Tan As A Maximum?
There is no set amount of time one should stay underwater when trying to catch a tan.
However, it is important to be mindful of how long you are staying in the water and take precautions. For most people, the recommended time for staying underwater for tanning purposes is about 15 minutes or less.
Make sure you’re getting enough sun exposure outside the water as well. Doing so can help maximize your results while reducing your risk of dehydration or other potential health risks.
Always remember to apply sunscreen on the beach, before entering the water and reapply often while active in the sun to ensure maximum skin protection.
Summary
Although there are risks associated with having a dip and trying underwater tanning such as increased UV exposure, when done properly it can be a safe way to get some color during summer months without worrying about burning yourself on land.
Just remember: wear protective clothing use high SPF waterproof sunscreen reapply often don’t forget drink plenty of fluids and always listen to your body. With these tips followed successfully should have nothing to worry about.