There are a lot of concerns in the consumers regarding the time gap between spray tan and shaving. While most people aren’t really aware of the negative sides of shaving immediately before or after applying spray tan on the skin, very few dare to ask this question to improve their knowledge on the matter: can you shave after a spray tan?
The answer isn’t simple and it demands a certain period of time as well as precaution to get this procedure done. You need to have a proper understanding of how spray tan works to be fully able to comprehend the concept and the ways it can damage your tan. On top of that, there are certain things you aren’t supposed to be doing while you have your spray tan on.
Our article today covers all these areas to acquaint you with sufficient knowledge on this matter. We’ll tell you when to shave before or after applying spray tan and how to take better care of the tan during the shave. Our experts have gone to the extent of explaining the reasons behind such an approach and in the end it’ll guide you to achieve balance between shaving and maintaining the tan.
Contents
How Does Spray Tan Work?
Initially, you have to understand how spray tan functions to fully grasp the shaving matter mingling with it. Spray tans are like an added layer of golden glaze on your skin that resemble actual tan that you get by having your skin exposed to the sunlight. Actual tanning requires a lot of time and patience, not to mention the risks of damaging your skin.
Spray tan minimizes all the trouble of the actual process and simply sprays over your preferred tanned tone in a short amount of time. Thus, shaving afterward can create a conflict with that layer and shaving before may prevent you from achieving a long-lasting outcome. If you treat your spray tanned skin like an additional vulnerable layer, it’s going to sustain for the longest period of time.
Shaving After A Spray Tan: Good Or Bad?
There are some major drawbacks of shaving after a spray tan. Many people ask us about what’s the shortest possible time one should leave the spray on before getting to the shaving part. While there’s no precise answer to that, the rule of thumb is that you wait for 24 hours before starting to shave off your unwanted hair for safekeeping, and at least 8 hours as the minimum amount of time.
As mentioned earlier, your spray tan functions as a beautiful golden layer over your skin and applying your blades right after will directly remove the tan. Even after days from applying the spray tan, running razor blades over your skin has the potential to damage the seamless tan by peeling off bits from the tanned layer.
That’s not all! Shaving foam has proven to function as a remover for tan spray which can easily ruin your perfect tan lines. Exfoliating is necessary for a fine shave without leaving behind any ingrown hair and that seems to tangle with the tan spray as well. Overall, it seems like a tough spot to be in if you’re thinking of shaving after a spray tan.
When such is the case, there are certain procedures you can follow to keep your tan for the longest possible time and even shaving unnecessary body hair during that. Our following section will shed light on this matter and help you achieve a fine shave after a spray tan process.
Guide On Shaving & Long-lasting Spray Tan
If you feel lost thinking you won’t be able to shave with your spray tan, we are here to rescue you. We still want to stress on the fact not to shave within 8 hours of spray tan, after that you can get away with removing your unwanted hair if you follow the methods given below properly:
- Use sharp blades. Dull blades have the tendency to scrape off more than it’s needed
- Don’t press your blades too close to the skin, leave a couple millimeters of hair from the roots
- DO NOT exfoliate or use shaving foam for shaving. There are certain natural soaps or products that can come in handy for matters as such
- Use tan extender creams to make your spray tan last for a longer amount of time
- Don’t be too aggressive with the razor. Take all the time and proceed slowly so that your blades don’t interact with your skin
- Any other method except for the laser removal can treat your skin the same way as vigorous shaving. Hair removal cream or waxing will most certainly remove your spray tan
- Lastly, don’t shave too often. Frequent shaving over spray tan leaves you more prone to having your spray tan damaged
Following these techniques will help you achieve better results with shaving after a spray tan and allow you to have the sustainable golden skin that you’ve always desired!
Can I Shave 2 Hours Before Spray Tan?
This is another question that our experts get asked very frequently. In order to understand this, you have to learn what happens when you shave 2 hours before spray tan or leave your skin untreated between shaving and applying spray tan.
Initially, when you shave your skin, your razor leaves behind a film layer over the area that you covered with your blades. This layer prevents your spray tan from settling down perfectly and it becomes highly temporary that washes off easily after a wash.
Also, using the creams that aren’t made with natural ingredients for the shaving purpose can add to that layer making your spray tan not sit well enough to survive the perils of time. A good wash and exfoliation should help you remove these layers and leaving at least 4 hours of time before spray tanning ensures the best outcome.
Lastly, applying any type of oil or cream before applying spray tan is strictly prohibited for the same reasons mentioned above. The right way to do it is by taking a clean shower and drying up without applying anything on your skin. This may dry up the surface in a few hours, but this is the best foundation to lay over your spray tan and let it cling on tightly to your skin.
Thus, such precautionary steps will allow you to get away with shaving before your spray tan and attain the attractive tanned tone that’ll survive past this hair removal process.
Verdict
You must remember, shaving before or after your spray tan isn’t the only threat to your alluring golden glaze. While the question ‘can you shave after a spray tan’ is a necessary one to mitigate all the threats, you still have to take care of your tanned skin in many other ways like avoiding harsh soap, swimming along with maintaining a proper care routine.
We have to say one thing, compromising shaving for keeping your tan spray isn’t the worst of ideas and you can consider it seriously. And if you feel you must shave, then take at least 8 hours after a spray tan or shave 4 hours beforehand. Refrain from applying chemical products afterward and leave your skin product-free prior to the procedure.
If you succeed in following through our guidelines mentioned above, you can easily manage a fine balance between shaving and spray tanning sustainably!