let's talk about brown

so 'back in the day' i totally fried myself in tanning beds. i hadn't been in a real tanning bed since 2000. after that i went to spray tanning which i was happy with, but what a chore to keep up with. just getting ready for it drove me nuts.
as i've mentioned before, this year i really decided to make changes, and i freely admit they are selfish changes. i want to be happier and happier when i look in the mirror. one of the things that makes me happy is being tan. it just does something for me. i feel beautiful, therefore i act beautiful, and i'm in a better mood all around. so i decided to re-visit tanning. in the summer yes i will tan just from the fun outdoor stuff. but i like the all over nekkid tan. anyway, have y'all heard about the new high pressure beds? well, the cool thing is, they don't contain all the bad rays the 'old' beds used to have. my first visit i stayed in that bed for the full 30 minutes and did NOT burn, but i sure did get a beautiful glowing brown :) if you know about tanning beds you know that typically you start with a ridiculous 3 or 4 minutes and work your way up over weeks so you don't fry yourself. now the second thing i love about these new beds is that you only tan TWICE a month to maintain that beautiful tan. T.W.I.C.E. the old beds, anywhere from 2 to 4 days a week. that is seriously bad for your skin. so not only are you getting only a teeny amount of the bad rays, you only go twice a month to maintain which is even better for your skin.


so let's talk about the cost. when i was researching on the internet, and i found a salon i was impressed with, they didn't mention the cost. this had to be a bad thing. i assumed they were going to charge a fortune for this (miracle to me) tanning bed. nope. i only pay $37 a month. why is it so cheap? probly because you only have to tan twice a month to maintain it!!!!! $9.25 a week to look and feel beautiful and with only a pinch of the stuff that causes wrinkles and skin cancer. one of the best decisions i've made this year so far. it's march and i'm brown oh brown. actually i'll post a pic of me i took today :)


here is the info from my tanning salon's website:
The Celsius HP consists of 18-21 high-pressure lamps behind cobalt filters that block virtually the entire UVB ray, essentially eliminating the risk of burning. It has a maximum tanning session of 24-30 minutes. You lay on a contoured mattress for 12-15 minutes on each side. It requires only 3-4 sessions within a 7-10 day period to achieve your base tan and only 1-2 sessions a month to maintain that color. 

and here i am today, as happy as a georgia peach ;)

just for the heck of it let me share my other reasons besides feeling beautiful that i enjoy tanning. 
~~~i have acne scars and they are MUCH less noticeable when i tan.
~~~i have uneven skin tone and red patches here and there. not when i tan.
~~~i can put zero foundation on and look pretty, because i truly have a 'natural glow'.
~~~it's not just about my face. i love the glow on arms and legs. i would pay $15 a week to feel pretty in a pair of pajama shorts ;)
~~~tanning salons have come a long way. no more walls that don't reach the ceiling. if you need help while inside the room you no longer have to throw your clothes on and rush out, there is an intercom system. if you do need to come out each room has a spa robe for you to put on. beds are sanitized so much better than they used to be. there are cushy pillows to lay your head on. and the tanning lotions???? oh my. you know that funky smell you have to deal with after tanning? the 'natural' smell that comes from your body? lotions now eliminate that! nobody, especially you, has any idea you tanned that day. used to, the best accelerators burned, i mean burned bad. not anymore. no burning at all and they have a very mild bronzer so each time you tan because of that bronzer, you walk out with a pretty brown glow. no more waiting hours or days to see results.
~~~lastly, getting to be alone in that air conditioned dimmed room, with fans going everywhere, music playing, phone turned off, no burning, just the warmth of the bulbs---i get to pretend every single time that i'm actually on a beach somewhere, all alone :) i walk out refreshed and ready to take on whatever the kids are about to dish out.


tanning isn't for everyone, especially with how bad they used to be (and still are just to a lesser extent) but lemme tell you it is for me :)