by fran dreascher

Created on: April 10, 2009   Last Updated: April 11, 2009

Get naked. That's right, I said get naked. Put your modesty to the side, no one will see you anyway. Lather on your dark tanning lotion and lie in the bed the way God created you. Who wants to deal with tan lines? They're easily taken care of by lying out with nothing to get in the way of you and the lights.

Try to hold your arms and legs slightly apart from the rest of your body. You don't want to have a fabulous tan on the outside of them and still be pale as a fish on the inside. Brush your hair, if it's long, back in a fan-like motion so that your face and neck are exposed to the lights. Do not, in any circumstances, remove your tanning goggles. You will risk damage to your retinas if you do this and no tan is worth going blind for. How would you even know what your tan looked like?

If you are using a stand-up tanning bed, remember that those straps on the ceiling are there for a reason. Grab onto them with both hands. This makes it so that you will not have blocks of skin on the inside of your arms and the outside of your torso that are paler then the rest of your body. You're paying for this tan, both in price and skin damage, so make sure you get the most for your buck.

Use the best dark tanning lotion you can find and smooth it into every portion of your body. This may include having to go through moving like a contortionist as you attempt to get to that one spot on your back that fingers just can't seem to reach. It may be a good idea to have someone help with the application to this spot, but make sure it's someone you relatively trust, as you will be standing in all of your glory, or disgrace, depending on the state your body is in.

Some of the better dark tanning lotions out there include: Australian Gold's Bronzing Fire Glaze, California's Tan Beach Bum Rum~Dark Triple Bronzer and Millennium/Pro Tan's Beautifully Dark. When your tanning session is complete it is worth applying an after tanning lotion which will hasten the tanning process. Products that are proven to work include products from the Swedish Beauty line, including Skin Embrace, Endless moisturizer, and Endless with bronzer.

Since you've decided to take the chance of prematurely aging your skin, and increasing your chances of skin cancer, make sure that you get the results that you're looking for and maintain it for as long as you can. A tan can give you a fresher, more youthful look and add a glow to your skin. Go naked, use a good bronzer and flaunt that tan!

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