Spray tans are all the rage, especially among women, and for a good reason. Not only do they make you look like a sun-kissed goddess, but they also reduce your risk of skin cancer and premature aging. However, after you get one, you may be curious about a few other things like whether it is safe to put on a bra.
So you’ve just gotten back from a spray tan appointment, and your bra is already itching with anticipation of what’s to come. But wait, can you wear a bra after a spray tan? While some people combine the two as part of their daily routine or as an occasional treat, others find that this can lead to some uncomfortable situations.
You can wear a bra after a spray tan, but you may want to do away with it for at least some hours. This is because your skin needs time to heal from the chemicals in the spray tan, and applying other items on top could irritate or damage your tan. You should wait at least 24 hours before wearing any type of lingerie (including bras).
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Can You Put a Bra on After a Spray Tan?
When you wear a bra after getting a spray tan, the elastic may rub against your skin and leave dark patches. Typically, this is visible on the shoulder straps and around your ribs. Although it’s not totally advisable to wear a bra after getting a spray tan, there are occasions when we feel the need to partially cover up because we aren’t going home right away.
With a bandeau or strapless bra that anyone can assist you gently hook so it won’t rub, you may prepare in advance. However, don’t flip your bra around and slide it over your recent tan. Instead, hook it in the front. Your color will become smeared and uneven as a result. Ask someone who can hook the back of your bra for assistance if you need to put it back on.
Also, the solution applied during the spray tanning process contains a high concentration of DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which causes your color to develop. DHA dissolves in water and can transfer from your skin onto clothing and towels. If you leave traces of this solution on your bra, it could cause discoloration on the fabric after drying if exposed to moisture later on. So if you plan on wearing a bra immediately after you spray with the solution, be sure it’s loose enough not to rub against your skin.
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When Can I Wear a Bra After a Spray Tan?
Your tan will be more even if you don’t wear a bra for the first few hours after your tan. This is important to remember if you plan on having a spray tan party and will be wearing bras during the process.
If you put on your bra immediately after having a spray tan, there’s a chance that it could rub off some of the color from your body and cause streaks or an uneven look in areas where the bra touches your skin. This will only happen if you’re wearing tight-fitting underwear or a bra with silicone lining around the edges that could potentially rub off on your body during wear.
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The best way to avoid having your bra rub off on your skin is to wear it after your spray tan has fully developed. This means waiting at least 24 hours after getting spray before wearing underwear or a bra. It would be best to wait until your spray-tanned skin dries completely before putting on any tight-fitting clothing or jewelry that could rub off on your skin and cause streaking.
If you decide to wear a bra, make sure it’s not too tight or loose. If it’s too tight, it could leave marks on your skin that are darker than the rest of your body and make the entire look uneven; if it’s too loose, then some parts of your chest might not get enough color coverage because those areas aren’t being held firmly against the skin.
Also, make sure that whatever style of garment you choose isn’t thick enough for any part of it to rub off onto clothing. This would cause spots that would look like smudges from mascara.
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What to Wear After Getting a Spray Tan
When you get a spray tan, it’s best not to wear any clothing that will rub against your skin. This includes bras (and other underwire items), which can cause skin abrasions.
Because of this, many people opt to go braless while they get their spray tans. But if you’re always wearing a bra and if you worry about what others will think when they see you without one, there are some things you can wear instead:
Cotton t-shirts
If you don’t mind wearing a slightly wrinkled shirt, cotton tank tops or T-shirts are an option. They’re easy to wash and dry and won’t leave marks on your skin after washing. You should still wear loose-fitting clothing over the top of these shirts so that your body doesn’t rub against them during the tanning process.
Silicone sports bras
Silicone sports bras are specifically for women who want support during exercise or physical activity but don’t want underwires digging into their sides or shoulders (like regular sports bras do). The silicone material is also very smooth and unlikely to irritate when worn during a spray tanning session (unlike cotton or wool fabrics).
Loose clothing
You can wear loose clothing that doesn’t cling to your skin after the treatment. For example, if you want to show off your new tan while wearing a dress or skirt, try wearing a loose-fitting garment made from silk or rayon. It will sit smoothly over your body without clumping or sticking like other fabrics.
Go braless
Another option is to go braless. If you feel comfortable doing so, try going without undergarments for an hour or two after your tanning session. This will keep everything in place, so nothing gets caught on anything else in your closet and ruin the look of your outfit later on in the day.
What to Do if You Have an Emergency and Need to Wear a Bra?
If you’ve ever had to go braless after a spray tan, you know how uncomfortable it can be. But there are a few ways to make the experience more bearable.
If you have an emergency and need to wear a bra after getting a spray tan, you can try the following:
- Wear a sports bra that is tight-fitting and has no padding. This will help prevent any color transfer onto your bra and will help protect your skin from irritation.
- Wear a padded bralette lined with fabric or lace on the inside. The padding or lining will keep your skin from coming into contact with the edges of the bra as much as possible, which can cause irritation.
Should I Wax or Shave Before Getting a Spray Tan?
You should use both hair removal methods at least 24 hours before getting a spray tan and ideally one to two days beforehand, even though they may seem a harmless part of your hygiene regimen. When waxing, there is a chance that some wax will be left behind; if this is not carefully removed, the skin may develop lighter, untanned patches.
The heat from the wax also causes your pores to open up, which facilitates the self-tanner to penetrate your skin and leave blotchy patches. You also face the danger of irritation since, depending on the product used, any nicks, wounds, or rashes that already exist; whether they were brought on by the wax or not, may be amplified by the tanner. This may also cause an uneven color even if no extra irritation takes place.
The same is true for shaving, as any wounds or scratches caused by the razor must have time to heal. You can shave the day before your spray tan and remove any leftover shaving cream or hairspray with a washcloth, exfoliating mitt, or body wash.
It may be tempting to shave before getting a spray tan, but you should avoid it if possible. Shaving can increase your risk of ingrown hairs and make your skin more sensitive to the spray tan solution. It also increases your likelihood of sunburn in shaving areas because hairless skin is more susceptible to burning from UVA rays.
Conclusion
I hope you’re now more informed about how to wear a bra after a spray tan. Hopefully, this guide will help you understand that it’s not advisable to wear bras immediately after getting sprayed because of the risk of staining or damaging the bra itself.
If you want to wear one post-spray tan, then make sure it is cotton or at least fabric so that it absorbs some of the excess oil on your body before applying pressure against your skin and potentially causing damage in return.
