When to Remove Hair Before a Tan

Ahh, the lead up to a tan…

When prepping your skin correctly can be the difference between the worst tan ever and the absolute best tan ever, it can be quite a daunting task making sure you do everything right. Exfoliation, moisturising and, lo and behold, hair removal. It’s vital to the perfect tan to know exactly when you’re safest to remove any unwanted hairs whether it be through shaving, waxing, plucking or laser hair removal.

Shaving Before and After a Spray Tan
Most beauticians will recommend that you shave your legs, underarms and any other areas the day prior to applying the spray tan. Shaving your legs before the spray tan will ensure that you are virtually hairless when the tan is applied, which should help the tan to adhere better and go on more evenly. Furthermore, shaving helps to remove dead skin cells and help out a little bit with the exfoliation step of self tan prep – we still recommend not skipping proper exfoliation for the perfect tan however!You should also try to avoid shaving as much as possible after the tan has been applied. Shaving will generally strip away some of the spray tan, which can cause the color to fade or become uneven. Therefore, it is always best to shave the day before your spray tan and then wait to shave again until absolutely necessary. Although there is nothing wrong with shaving every day with a spray tan, you will typically need to reapply the tan far more frequently if you choose to do so.

Check out our tips for shaving correctly before your tan!

Waxing and Plucking with a Self Tan
Waxing is something that should be avoided at all costs if you have a spray tan. Waxing will typically strip away much of the tan solution and can thus ruin the look of your tan. Therefore, if you are the type that likes to wax, it is always best to only do so before your spray tan is applied. Generally speaking, you should make sure to wax at least two to three days prior to spray tanning. The reason is that waxing opens up your pores, and these open pores can lead to more irritation and skin issues or tan build-up within them. All big no-nos to avoid!

The same thing goes for plucking, as this also opens up your pores. If you only need to pluck out a stray hair or two, there is definitely nothing wrong with doing it the day before or even a few hours before you get your tan on. However, once you’ve put on the self-tanner, you should avoid plucking any hairs until at least after your initial rinse as the tan is still developing.

Your technician will let you know not to wear any fake tan to your treatment appointment and this is vital to ensuring the removal process is a success! Following your treatment, we recommend waiting at least a day until applying any self tan to the treatment area, however it is advised to ask your technician as your skin is sensitive during this time. We recommend carrying out a small patch test beforehand to ensure the tanning product doesn’t further irritate your skin following your hair removal.

Your tan will look better and last longer by prepping and maintaining the correct way, thus keeping these tips in mind for a super smooth, tanned up bod is vital! Happy tanning!