Does Tanning Help Prevent Acne?

Though all of the causes of acne are have yet to be identified, what is known is that excess oil and dirt can cause acne. There is the myth circliating throughout the internet community that tanning can help to prevent acne. So, does tanning help prevent acne? Not directly.

As stated before, acne is known to be caused by a build up of excess oil and dirt on the body, particularily the face. This build of dirt and oil can be removed by regular cleaning of the body and face. Tanning does not help to prevent acne, although the skin care techniques used by tanners can help prevent acne. The most common technique used by tanners is to start with clean skin. This is because if one is tanning with dirty skin, the dirt can block the sun's or bulb's rays and act as a natural sun block. 

Another technique that helps to prevent acne that tanners often use, making it appear that tanning prevents acne, is the application of lotion to clean skin. The application of lotion is known to help decrease the size of the pores. If the lotion is tinted, there is a lower chance of noticing larger pores or the redness caused by acne.

Though tanning can have great effects on the body and mind in providing a great way for the body to naturally process the vitamin D into its usable form, it is not the tanning that prevents acne. What prevents acne is the skin care regime that tanners use to help reverse the damage that tanning does to their skin while maintaining a warm and bright glow.