Thread: Reverse tanning?

I know, it sounds silly, but here's my issue:

My arms are SIGNIFICANTLY darker than the rest of my body, and I HATE it.

Other than bathing in 70+ sunscreen...is there ANYTHING you all can think of to help my arms get back to their normal color?


:( lol

I like having white skin...its the goth in me. ;)

any ideas? and btw, I DO live in Vegas, so long sleeves in the summer is a death sentance.

Not a lot you can do to speed that process up so far as I know. My sister did use stronger SPF on her arms and neck and a lower one on her chest and back to get them to match but that would involve sitting in the sun as well.

I always have a drivers tan in the summer but don't really much mind. When I danced, I just used a self tanner everywhere else to even things out for day.

I have that problem too - and also think untanned skin looks better than tanned. I would *love* to lose my tan - but it realistically isn't going to happen.

I've found sleeves or strategically placed "arm falls" (whatever you call those upper arm sleeve things that stay on with elastic and have cloth cascading off the arm are called) work wonders. No-one really notices the tanned vs. untanned - as long as you hide the line.

I have been bleaching mine with some thick white goo I am not supposed to use for longer than 3 months or I will disappear...nothin yet!!!

I would say exfoliate in the shower and use a body lotion with some antioxidants and AHA's, to speed up the process of cell renewal and stimulate the growth of fresh baby-smooth skin.

Those are both things they tell you not to do too much of when you're trying to maintain a tan, so I figure the reverse is probably true! And yes, keep bathing in sunscreen to protect against further darkening.

Lemon juice has a lightening effect.
So does cucumber but I think lemon juice would work better.

I know that my grandmother used to rub my mother with lemon rinds (juice was squeezed out first) to lighten her skin. Mom used to run around outside as a young one all the time and Grandma would have fits about how dark she'd become (Mom's 85 now, but still remembers how much she hated getting "scrubbed down" with lemons)...g.:

Yasmin, I think it helps alot to not only use *daily* sunscreen but also to try to wear a long-sleeve shirt as often as possible when you are outside. I have some Columbia quick dry spf 50 long shirts that I throw over my tank or tee shirt when I know I have to be outside more than a minute or two.

A chador?

Honestly, as a fellow pale-skinned person in a high-burn country, I sometimes really wish I had to wear a big black thing over me every time I went out. My face is the worst. Makeup goes on, people say "oh you have a smudge on your nose" and I say "no, that's my CANCER."

Anala, what kind of thick white goo is it?

Originally Posted by ssipes

Yasmin, I think it helps alot to not only use *daily* sunscreen but also to try to wear a long-sleeve shirt as often as possible when you are outside. I have some Columbia quick dry spf 50 long shirts that I throw over my tank or tee shirt when I know I have to be outside more than a minute or two.

Oh, but that's TORTURE out here...I have to walk from my car to the main building every morning and afternoon, and in the mornings its ok, but in the afternoon, its usually 116 or above...and its a ten minute walk...


hm.

screw it, maybe I'll just suffer.

I'll try the exfoliating, and the lemon scrubbing though. ;)

Palmers skin fade cream. It has hydroquinine (sp?) in it.

I second the hydroquinone cream...the Ambi brand works the best I've found. I had melasma (pregnancy mask) and it's faded considerably since I've been using it faithfully. I switched to Porcelana because it was cheaper but I don't like the consistency as well.

The other thing which works for some people is microdermabrasion or laser peals. this does not work for everyone!

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by Doozer

I second the hydroquinone cream...the Ambi brand works the best I've found. I had melasma (pregnancy mask) and it's faded considerably since I've been using it faithfully. I switched to Porcelana because it was cheaper but I don't like the consistency as well.

where can I find this? Walgreens? Ulta?

I'll give it a go...

Originally Posted by TediThomas

I know that my grandmother used to rub my mother with lemon rinds (juice was squeezed out first) to lighten her skin. Mom used to run around outside as a young one all the time and Grandma would have fits about how dark she'd become (Mom's 85 now, but still remembers how much she hated getting "scrubbed down" with lemons)...g.:

Tedi, how do you do this? cut the rinds off and scrub? lol

It sounds like a cheap idea to try anyway. lol

After you cut the lemons and squeeze the juice out, you rub the inside of the lemon against the skin. Mom found it a bit sticky and little pieces of lemon fibers/flesh would stick to her. Grandma didn't let her rinse it off. She had to keep in on until it dried. Then she could "dust" the little pieces of lemon off, but she couldn't wash it off until later. No wonder she hated it.

Carry an umbrella for your outdoor jaunt.

Originally Posted by TediThomas

After you cut the lemons and squeeze the juice out, you rub the inside of the lemon against the skin. Mom found it a bit sticky and little pieces of lemon fibers/flesh would stick to her. Grandma didn't let her rinse it off. She had to keep in on until it dried. Then she could "dust" the little pieces of lemon off, but she couldn't wash it off until later. No wonder she hated it.

So this would probably be best done at night, sleeping in long sleeves (with the fan on!) and showered off in the morning...

I'm going to try it this week...

Originally Posted by FayrouzFarasha

Carry an umbrella for your outdoor jaunt.

Exactly what I was going to suggest--I had to do some walking in 98 degree weather a couple of weeks ago, and on a whim grabbed an Indonesian parasol I had sitting around the house. It made a huge difference in my comfort level, and it certainly kept the sun off!

Originally Posted by yasmindiab

So this would probably be best done at night, sleeping in long sleeves (with the fan on!) and showered off in the morning...

I'm going to try it this week...

It does work, one side of my family is Native American, I remember my Great Grandma telling me that she always washed her skin in lemon juice to look less "Native" and blend in better with the white people back in the 1920's and
30's in Oklahoma. Being Native was not cool in that era!!

Tedi and Aradia, how drying is the lemon treatment? I have some scars from pimples (ie dark marks) and I'd like to try something to lighten them, but my skin is quite dry already.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Tedi and Aradia, how drying is the lemon treatment? I have some scars from pimples (ie dark marks) and I'd like to try something to lighten them, but my skin is quite dry already.

it's pretty drying from what I remember as a kid, so I suggest after a lemon treatment, really moisturize your skin!

You can find hydroquinone cream at Walgreens (Porcelana) and Fred Meyer (Ambi) for about eight bucks.

Here's a webpage with all kinds of skin fading recipes - I haven't tried any of them yet - but I know that lemon juice does a very good job of fading.

Good luck!

GawthPallor

Hmmm....I might have to try some of these remedies too! My arms are 4 different shades of tan, while the rest of me is pretty pasty.

Thanks everyone! I'm totally trying the lemon thing first, because its less likely to irritate my skin, and its REALLY cheap. ;)

Since vampires can handle sun better than I can, I found a "tourist umbrella" on Amazon. It cuts all the UV and keeps you cooler. And works in the rain, too. And Neutrogena Helioplex Dry-Touch sunblock with an SPF of 85 is the most comfortable to wear. I used to use baby sunblock, but it's sticky. The best part is not getting wrinkles like other women my age!

Persephone's Daughters

yes it does lemon is good but lime is way better.. and if you mixed w/ the bell cream it will work faster
the bell cream you can find it @ wallgreens....
oh drink milk it take away the tanning too.......g.:

johnson&johnson put out a product in the phillipines ( and other places I'm sure) called a whitening cream....my friend thought it would be funny to bring some back for me.,r:; It was slightly amusing...BUT in this case, since you're looking to pale down a bit-perhaps that will help!