How to Get Rid of Tan Lines: 3 Easy Prevention Tips

Not only are tan lines not good for you, but they can get annoying when they take a while to fade.

Some parts of your skin may be visibly darker, with the lighter areas very obvious!

You’re frustrated, too.

You’ve applied a whole vat of sunscreen only to face these lines on your body. So, what can speed up the process of letting these tan lines fade?

Thankfully, we’ve listed some ways to get rid of those annoying tan lines! Read this guide to learn more!

Our Sun Damage Tips: Ways to Get Rid of Tan Lines

First, there’s one thing you must understand: tan lines are a sign of skin damage.

The steps below cover how to get rid of tan lines. However, these are also tips on properly taking care of your skin!

Ultimately, good skin care is the solution to the UV damage from sun exposure you get from self-tanning.

Here are some ways to remove tan lines without much effort!

1. Gently Exfoliate and Moisturize Your Skin.

We mean it when we say GENTLY! You want to know how to get rid of tan lines, not how to damage your skin further.

Don’t use harsh chemical exfoliants in the shower or scrubs that contain products that could scratch and irritate your skin even more.

Just make sure exfoliating doesn’t develop more visible damage to your tanned areas.

As you exfoliate, you’ll be removing the dead skin cells on the outer layer of your skin. Newer skin will come out!

Use thick lotion, body butter, or other moisturizing products to take care of your new skin cells.

Moisturizers will help lock in moisture and create a nice barrier for your skin against the elements.

Plus, the exfoliating and moisturizing routine is ESSENTIAL to reducing hyperpigmentation!

2. Use Self-Tanner and Sunscreen When You’re Out and About!

If your problem involves an uneven tan, we’ve got you covered. Self-tanner is the way to go!

Remember to use a mitt to evenly apply it. If you don’t have a mitt, you can use other items like gloves or sponges.

In this case, a self-tanner will temporarily even out your skin tone. You can choose between waterproof self-tanners or indoor tanning lotions.

No self-tanner? Use body makeup.

Dip into makeup-like concealers and foundations that match your shade to fade out the lines. Before you do all of this, however, you must apply a thin layer to your face and body.

If you like, you can also choose to wear your shade for a tinted moisturizer.

This will protect your sensitive skin from even more sun damage.

We recommend going for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 or above. When wearing sunscreen, reapply every few hours if you’re going to be on a long day.

And yes, reapply makeup and tanner as needed, too!

Just make sure that when you wear sunscreen and body makeup, none of it gets on your clothes.

Regularly wearing sunscreen will eventually protect your skin and body from UV damage in the long run!

These are all EASY ways to make your stubborn tan lines disappear!

Another solution to appear more even is more practical: grab clothes that can camouflage that tan up!

TIP: We have a guide on how to remove self-tanner from your hands and feet to prevent stains!

#3 Go Crazy with Vitamin C!

If you really want to speed up the process, you can try products with vitamin C.

Note that this won’t make your tan fade overnight, but it would be better than weeks of waiting with moisturizer and sunscreen.

Vitamin C is a known treatment for hyperpigmentation. At the end of the day, that’s what tanning essentially is: hyperpigmentation.

Get ready for the effects of sun exposure to die down in a matter of a few weeks!

Frequently Asked Questions

We know our short guide still left you with some questions.

Aside from knowing how to slowly make tan lines disappear, we also offer answers to anything you’re wondering about in this section:

How Long Are Tan Lines Supposed to Last?

While searching how to get rid of tan lines, it may seem like they will be there forever.

But don’t fret!

After some sun exposure, tans will only last for a week or two. During this time, the skin is self-exfoliating, from the larger to smaller areas.

If your tan lasts for more than that, get on the routine we mentioned above quickly!

Avoid the sun as much as possible if you don’t want to go shades darker, and refrain from tanning by yourself.

Does Baking Soda Make Dead Skin Cells and Annoying Tan Lines Go Away?

Yes, baking soda does help when you want to quickly cover up your tan lines.

You want to do the following:

1. Prepare 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
2. Prepare 1 teaspoon water. If you would like to increase the paste volume or want another layer of paste on your skin, prepare more of it in this ratio.
3. Mix it in together to create a paste. Prepare a glass or plastic bowl for the mixture. After you put the water and baking soda together, it should slowly form into a paste that you can rub onto your body.
4. Massage onto your skin. Don’t scrub too hard! Massage it gently onto your body like you would lotion. Go in circular motions until you have covered most of the larger areas.
5. Leave the paste on for about five to eight minutes. This will give it enough time to work its magic!
6. Rinse off with lukewarm water.
7. You can incorporate this routine into your regular round of body products, face-aimed and body-aimed scrubs for your skin.

Why Won’t My Tan Line Go Away?

There’s an easy answer: sun damage.

You might be one of those people whose tan lines, without any prompting, just never go away.

You don’t spray-tan, don’t go to tanning beds, and wear sunscreen and long-sleeved clothes – and yet, the tanning somehow persists!

If your tan line doesn’t go away, no matter what scrub, lotion, or waiting time you use, then it may be time for another route.

Professional skin care experts may need to be the ones to undo the tanning damage the sun has inflicted upon your skin.

You can go ahead and book a session. Still, however, it’s important to implement the best skincare practices!

Focus on getting the right SPF, moisturizing and exfoliating body products, and ingredients commonly found best for hyperpigmentation, such as vitamin C.

These products will focus on just overall evening out of your skin tone, if not fading away from your tan.

EXTRA TIP: There are many post-tan aftercare tips that you can follow to prevent mishaps just like tanning lines.

Final Thoughts

It’s great that you can sport a tan around with confidence, but there does come a time we need it to slowly disappear.

It’s nothing that some high-SPF sunscreen, exfoliant, moisturizing cream, and body makeup can’t solve!

Once your tan starts to even out, it’s a sign your skin tone is going back to normal. You’re good to go then!

We hope we helped your self-tanning pursuits go a little easier!

FINAL TIP: If you want to get rid of your tan altogether, there are several easy-to-follow remedies that you can try out!