Horrible lizard skin, please help

[KatieF]

Hello,

I'm not a professional, but I've been looking online for some forums and I hope someone can help me here.

I have very fair skin and have been spray tanning for about 5 years now non-stop. A few years ago I decided to stop going to salons (was using tanning booth) and buy a MaxiMist Spraymate. I tan once a week, and use 9% DHA solution: https://www.iqnaturalpro.com/airbrush-tanning-solution-9-dha.html

Lately I've been having a terrible time with my tanning. My lower legs are absolutely awful, covered in lizard skin and it looks like I have some sort of a disease. What makes it worse is I've had numerous comments recently about it and I'm embarrassed and feeling quite ugly.

In a nut shell this is my routine:

• Shave 2 days before tan
• Approx 2.5 hours before tanning I exfoliate (St Ives apricot or whatever else I have) and I basically try to scrub off as much of the tan as possible on these problem areas. It never comes off completely
• (I've noticed every 2 weeks I have to completely scrub my neck/chest area as the buildup gets really bad, but this comes off in 2 seconds and it's ok)
• I use approx 2oz of solution (total of 2 coats, 1 oz each)
• I take a quick bath the next morning

I've attached some photos...you can see how bad it is today. Please help....tanning tonight and would greatly appreciate some help. I've also attached a photo of one of my arms, for some reason this week I have huge patches of white skin/tanned skin, I don't know why it's faded so terribly.

 

[PicklePie]

I can't comment on the tanning as I'm not qualified to but your skin looks horribly dehydrated. Do you moisturise? Why not go back to paying a professional to tan you; you'll get the proper service with prep and aftercare advice

 

[Mellynn]

You need to exfoliate and moisturise regularly before your tan and 1-2 times a week after your tan. This will help you get a more even fade.

 

[KatieF]

Going back to the salon isn't an option since I moved a few years ago and there's none nearby. That's why I invested in the MaxiMist several years ago and everything has been fine until recently!

No, I don't moisturize, or very rarely. I completely forgot that this is supposed to help :/ Will start asap but not today since I tan tonight!

I bought a new loofah pad/new exfoliator at lunch today so hopefully this will help remove some of the tan tonight.

 

[Cindy2021]

Have you done a spray tanning course? X

 

[PicklePie]

I think I'd be exfoliating and moisturising until my skin was in prime condition before any kind of tanning took place!

 

[KatieF]

I know it would be best to wait a couple weeks to have it all off completely before redoing it, but I haven't been without a tan in 5+ years, so it's just not going to happen. I'm horribly pale and not doing that. lol

No I didn't take a course, went from tanning booths to watching YouTube videos and doing it myself. Like I said its been fine for the ~3 years I've been doing it myself until just recently.

 

[Mellynn]

Going back to the salon isn't an option since I moved a few years ago and there's none nearby. That's why I invested in the MaxiMist several years ago and everything has been fine until recently!

No, I don't moisturize, or very rarely. I completely forgot that this is supposed to help :/ Will start asap but not today since I tan tonight!

I bought a new loofah pad/new exfoliator at lunch today so hopefully this will help remove some of the tan tonight.

Try moisturising daily and then exfoliate 1-2 times a week and I'm sure you will see a difference in the fade off. I have clients who moisturise daily and their tan lasts over 10 days. Then I have others who don't moisturise and they don't get nowhere near as long out of it. Have a look at the tan you use, they may do a moisturiser or tan extender in their retail x

 

[KatieF]

Ok, will do! Thank you for your advice.

This is the moisturizer I have now, would it be fine? (I remember reading something about no oil but I don't know for sure if that's good/bad)
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21434136&cm_vc=200