The History of Tanning: Going for the Gold

It wasn't always this way. For centuries, tanned skin was considered unattractive, especially among women. A tan was not golden or glowing, but brown and weathered -- proof that someone labored outdoors. Well-bred ladies protected themselves with hats, parasols and long sleeves.

Coco Chanel is widely credited -- or blamed -- with changing all that. In 1923, the story goes that Chanel, the French fashion designer, accidentally got a lot of sun while sailing aboard a yacht to Cannes. When she returned from the Riviera golden brown, a fad was born. Before long, so was an industry. Movie stars, politicians, models, teenagers, housewives -- everyone wanted to look bronzed. The rich and famous traveled to sunny places in winter or used a sunlamp. Ordinary people "worked" on their tans, "lying out" in the sun for hours. Sunburns were common.

As the century wore on, dermatologists and oncologists in Western nations were alarmed by a surge in skin cancers. They warned that damage to the skin builds up over time, leading to wrinkles and dry skin, as well as cancer. By the 1970s, suntan lotions were giving way to sunscreen concoctions boasting varying degrees of protection. Tanning beds and booths began catering to those who wanted a tan but worried about the sun.

It wasn't long, however, before doctors began to warn that the ultraviolet tanning lamps used in beds and booths were as bad as, if not worse than, the sun. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that tanning lamps may be more dangerous than the natural sun because people can use them at the same intensity year-round and can expose their whole bodies at once [source: U.S. FDA].  In a reverse of Chanel's trend-setting tan, some of today's celebrities, such as the porcelain-skinned Nicole Kidman, speak out against tanning [source: Quenqua].

Those who still desire a tan are beginning to turn to "sunless" tanning. Increasingly, the preferred option is spray tanning. In fact, news reports in September 2009 quoted a leading financial analyst as saying that spray tanning is the one area of growth in an otherwise declining tanning industry. Spray tanning, which brought in about 11 percent of the industry's revenue last year, is expected to grow to 17 percent by the end of the year, according to George Van Horn, the analyst [source: Conroy].

So, just what is this magic spray? Tune in tomorrow to find out...

To Clip Or Not To Clip- That Is The Question...

Getting longer hair certainly isn’t easy, especially if you have to wait well over 1 year to get that hair length that you have always wanted. This is why you may be considering either clip in extensions or hair wefts for your hair – you want the longer hair, but you don’t have the months, if not years, to wait for your hair to grow out. So which ones are better?
Clip In Hair Extensions

Clip in hair extensions are increasingly popular as they cost significantly less than the other type of hair extensions that you would have fused to your hair. Most of the clip-in hair extensions are made of up synthetic fiber, though you can also find clip in hair extensions that are made up of human hair.
Given that the bonded type of hair extensions can easily cost you well over $1000 to have done well, you may be looking into choosing the clip in hair extensions. These types of extensions come in every shade and color, and are more often than not high heat friendly so you can still style your hair as per usual with the clip in hair extensions in.

The length and the width of the extensions also vary greatly, so you can better choose just where you will be placing the clip in hair extensions on your head. If you purchase a packet of hair extensions, expect to find several different widths and lengths in the package so that you can best use them to achieve the thickness or length that you want to acquire.

Hair Wefts

Not many people outside of the African-Caribbean community have heard of hair wefts. Hair wefts have been used for years by African-Caribbean women. A hair weft is a piece of synthetic hair that is sewn into one’s hair, giving it a semi-permanent effect (just as if you were to glue in hair extensions).
A hair weft looks somewhat like a “half-wig”. The hair weft clips from one side of your head to the other side of the head, and is clipped under the top layer of hair. This will help give your hair a fuller effect, especially as it covers both sides of the head and the back. You can find hair wefts in a number of different colors, lengths and styles, from curly to wavy to straight.

Which is Best for Me?

Both are great for adding that extra length of hair, but there are some benefits to using one above the other. For example, clip in hair extensions allow you the option of adding a lot of different contrasting colors and highlights to your hair. You can create different looks for your hair simply by clipping in a different color, rather than going through the tedious and expensive task of dying your hair different shades to give it that multidimensional effect.

If you want to obtain a thicker effect, then a hair weft is definitely the way to go. Hair wefts instantly add more thickness to any hair ‘do in just a few clicks, whereas clip in hair extensions would take several packs to achieve this very same effect. 

You can get your own extensions from local beauty supply shops such as Sallys. 

Building Self Esteem And Body Image Part 1

Men and women alike are bombarded daily with media images of the "perfect" person who has been painted, sprayed, blown-dry and dressed to perfection by professionals paid to create the image of flawless beauty.  Great work if you can get it, but what does life offer the majority of us who want to look and feel great even if we're not supermodel material? A beautiful, golden tan from your local professional spray tanner may be just the enhancement needed to highlight your natural qualities. First and foremost, a person must realize that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone has a different idea of beauty, and what appeals to one person may not necessarily appeal to another. It's all a matter of taste--all you have to do is discover your unique qualities and make the most of them.  This is why spray tanning has become one of the fastest growing personal-care services in the country. More and more Americans have come to realize that regardless of a person's shape or size, a well- maintained tan helps maximize a person's physical qualities. Consumers who utilize the service of spray tanning are not afraid to get out and show themselves to their best advantage.  A Golden Tan Builds Confidence.  What is confidence? Confidence is the way you feel about yourself based upon your perception of how effectively you deal with the world. Simply put, it is how you evaluate you. People with a great deal of confidence feel good about themselves and think that they are capable of accomplishing most tasks that confront them.  Self-confidence affects our entire life. In general, the rougher the going gets on the outside, the greater the need for self-worth on the inside. Your ability to overcome obstacles is enhanced if you have high self-esteem. You are who you think you are--no more, no less. That's why it pays to think, feel and look your best.  Confidence in adulthood is often an elusive quality. However, people know it when they see it, and it's totally irresistible. There is no person sexier or more beautiful than one with full confidence in themselves and their abilities. Confidence from a well-tanned individual radiates like a light, drawing opportunities and admirers in miraculous ways. Expressing a sincere and honest belief in yourself and your abilities doesn't mean you are conceited. Just take a good, long look at yourself, finding your strengths and using them to project the utmost confidence.  Adults always have looked for ways to boost their self-confidence by physical enhancements. For example, if people compliment us on our great smile, we may consider whitening our teeth to make them even more noticeable. To even further enhance their smiles, women may use only the highest-quality lipsticks in flattering colors. They also keep their lips soft and supple with top-of-the-line lip balms.  Is thick, rich hair one of your best assets? To build self-confidence in this area, you may have considered highlighting your hair to bring out its natural beauty. Undoubtedly, you use only the best hair products and don't mind spending money on them. If hair is one of your best natural qualities, you have probably experimented with a variety of styles to find which are the most flattering and match your personality the best.  Maybe you have a trim figure. If so, you wear clothes that show it off. You have developed the self-confidence that allows you to strut your stuff without being afraid of looking good. While most people envy you, they also respect you for having the courage to live up to your greatest potential. 

Confessions Of A Spray Tan Artist

I never thought I'd make a living staring at nearly naked women and men. But I decided to open my own spray-tanning business to give people that tanned look without frying their skin.  Unlike tanning booths, which offer some degree of anonymity, there's no room for modesty here. Everything's done by hand, so I have to be all up in people's business. Not surprisingly, I've seen and heard things that would make even a bronzed chick's cheeks turn red.  But nothing fazes me.  Most women calm down once they realize how much I'll be able to help them. I can put a tiny triangle above the breasts to create cleavage, shade a bit of darkness under the butt for extra lift, or conceal cellulite by using a slightly warmer color on the backs of the thighs. It's all about subtlety.  As sunless tanning grows in popularity, I see more fake-tanorexics. They've lost their grasp on what looks natural. To them, the darker the better. Let me tell you, it's scary. No matter what your skin tone, you should never go more than two shades deeper. A spray tan only lasts about 7-10 days, and if you're too dark, you'll look like you have dirty, marbled skin when the color starts to fade.  And that ladies and gents is a big no-no!!  Now heres a little FYI for you...did you know that men make up about 15 percent of my clientele? Most of them are straight guys who got dragged along for their girlfriend's appointment and start coming back for their own work. They always want to go superlight, so no one (especially women) will be able to tell. It's a shame they have no sense of subtlety in other areas. Something about being semi-nude in front of a woman on her knees makes most men act like stupid frat boys. Bottom line is I love what I do and I love the people that I meet.   I've got an amazing business that makes women's butts look smaller-how many people can say that?