If it’s your first time in a spray tan booth, knowing exactly what to do with your body — where to stand, how to hold your arms, what to do with your hands — makes the difference between an even, natural-looking result and a patchy one. The good news is that the positions themselves are straightforward once you know what to expect.

Most spray tan booths use a prerecorded voice system that guides you through each position in real time, so you won’t be left guessing. But going in with a clear picture of what’s coming means you move more confidently, hold each pose properly, and avoid the most common mistakes first-timers make — like hunching, squeezing their fingers together, or tensing their face.

This guide covers every position in order, what to do before and after the spray, and the small details that most articles skip over — barrier cream placement, face angle, and what to do differently if you’re having a manual airbrush rather than a machine booth.

Key Takeaways

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms slightly away from your body — this is your default position throughout
Apply barrier cream to knuckles, palms, hairline, eyebrows, feet, and nails before entering the booth to prevent over-darkening
Skip all makeup, moisturiser, deodorant, and perfume on the day of your appointment — they block or discolour the solution
Keep your expression neutral and relaxed — pursed lips or tightly closed eyes create creases that show in the finished tan
The booth’s prerecorded voice will guide you through each position — listen carefully and move quickly between transitions
Wash your hands and feet immediately after stepping out to remove excess solution from palms, knuckles, and between toes
Wait at least 8 hours before showering, and avoid all water, sweat, and tight clothing during development
Manual airbrush tans require slightly different positioning — communicate openly with your technician throughout

Before You Enter the Booth

Skip All Products on Your Skin

On the day of your appointment, avoid applying anything to your skin before you arrive — this means no moisturiser, makeup, perfume, body oil, or fake tan. Any product sitting on your skin creates a barrier that prevents the spray tan solution from absorbing evenly, leading to patchy or uneven colour development.

Deodorant is one that catches a lot of people out. The aluminium compounds found in most antiperspirants react with the DHA in tanning solution and can turn the underarm area a greenish colour. Skip it entirely on the day — or use a DHA-friendly, aluminium-free formula if you need something.

Ideally, you should also have exfoliated 24 to 48 hours before your appointment to remove dead skin cells and give the solution a smooth, even surface to work with. Our guide to how to exfoliate before a spray tan covers exactly what to do and what to avoid.

Apply Barrier Cream to Problem Areas

This is one of the most useful steps that many first-timers don’t know about. Applying a small amount of barrier cream or regular moisturiser to specific areas before you go in helps prevent those areas from absorbing too much solution and turning disproportionately dark.

The areas to focus on are:

Knuckles and the backs of hands — the creases absorb more DHA and tend to go dark
Palms — a light barrier helps prevent the classic orange-palm result
Feet and ankles — particularly heels and toes, which are drier and absorb more heavily
Elbows and knees — dry skin here soaks up solution faster than surrounding areas
Hairline and eyebrows — prevents staining on the skin just at the edge of your hair
Nails — clear nail polish or a thin barrier cream coat helps prevent discolouration

Don’t apply barrier cream anywhere else — it will affect how the solution develops across the rest of your body.

Remove Clothing and Accessories

You’ll be shown a private room to undress before entering the booth. Remove all jewellery, including piercings where possible — anything left on creates tan lines or uneven coverage around the edges.

Most salons give you the option to wear a strapless bikini, disposable thong, or go fully nude. Whatever you choose, make sure your hair is completely pulled back and secured under a plastic cap (usually provided by the salon). Any hair touching your shoulders or back will leave uncoloured lines behind.

For full guidance on what to bring and wear, see our article on what to wear to a spray tan.

The Main Spray Tan Positions — In Order

The exact number of positions depends on the booth or technician, but most sessions follow a clear sequence. The booth’s prerecorded voice will prompt each transition — your job is to listen and move quickly, as the nozzles typically only pause for around 10 to 20 seconds between instructions.

Position 1: Facing the Nozzles, Arms Out

This is your starting position. Stand in the centre of the booth facing the nozzles, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointing forward. Your weight should be evenly distributed — don’t lean back or shift to one side.

Extend both arms out to the side at roughly a 45-degree angle from your body, elbows slightly bent, palms facing forward or slightly downward. The goal is to create space between your arms and your torso so the nozzles can cover your sides and underarms without obstruction.

Some booths instruct you to raise your arms higher — more like a goalpost shape — depending on how the nozzles are positioned. Follow the booth’s specific instruction here rather than assuming a fixed angle.

Position 2: Adjusting for the Lower Body

Once the upper body pass is complete, the booth may instruct you to shift your stance slightly for better coverage on the inner thighs and lower legs. Stagger one foot slightly forward and turn your toes out a little — this opens up the inner thigh area that the nozzles can otherwise miss.

Keep your knees soft and slightly bent rather than locked — locked knees create tension in the back of the leg that can cause uneven coverage.

Position 3: Turning Side-On

In most booths, you’ll be asked to turn 90 degrees to face one wall. When turning sideways, stagger one leg slightly forward so your body isn’t completely flat to the nozzle — this allows the spray to reach the front and back of your legs more evenly in a single pass.

Keep your arms in the same extended position and maintain your upright posture. Don’t twist your torso or look back toward the nozzles — face directly toward the wall you’re standing against.

Position 4: Back to the Nozzles

You’ll then be instructed to turn so your back faces the nozzles. This position mirrors Position 1 — stand straight, feet apart, arms extended. The key thing to avoid here is sticking your hips back or arching your lower back, as this creates a crease in the skin that will show as a streak across the lower back. Keep your posture neutral and hips level.

Position 5: The Final Side Turn

The final rotation faces the opposite wall to Position 3. Repeat the same staggered-leg stance as before and hold until the booth completes its final pass. Some booths skip this step depending on their nozzle configuration — follow the voice prompt.

How to Hold Your Feet and Legs

Foot position is something most guides mention briefly, but it matters more than people expect — the feet, ankles, and shins are areas that commonly come out uneven.

Keep your feet flat on the floor with your weight evenly distributed across both feet. Don’t rise onto your toes or shift your weight to one side. Your feet should be pointing forward (not angled out) during the front-facing positions, and slightly staggered when side-on as described above.

If the booth has footprint markers on the floor, use them — they’re placed specifically for optimal nozzle coverage. Look down before the session starts to see if they’re there.

How to Hold Your Hands and Fingers

Hand position is one of the most common sources of patchy results. Keep your fingers spread wide apart — as if you’re counting to five on one hand. This ensures the solution reaches the gaps between fingers and prevents dark lines forming where fingers press together.

Many booths will instruct you to curl your fingers slightly downward at one point so the nozzles can reach the knuckle area. Follow this instruction as prompted rather than guessing. The barrier cream you applied to your knuckles before entering will also help manage colour intensity here.

For your palms, the solution tends to absorb heavily into the lines and creases. The barrier cream on your palms before the session minimises this, but washing your hands immediately after stepping out of the booth is still recommended — a damp cloth or pH-neutral baby wipe across the palm removes any excess solution before it develops.

What to Do With Your Face

This is the area most first-timers are uncertain about, and it makes a real difference to how the finished tan looks around the face and neck.

Keep your expression completely neutral and relaxed. Don’t scrunch your nose, clench your jaw, purse your lips, or squeeze your eyes shut — all of these create small folds in the skin that the solution settles into, leaving visible lines in the finished tan. Close your eyes gently, as if you’re resting rather than blinking hard.

Keep your chin at a natural, level position — slightly lifted works well in most booths to help the solution reach the jawline and neck evenly. Avoid tilting your head back or tucking your chin toward your chest.

During the front-facing spray, hold your breath briefly — DHA solution is not intended to be inhaled, and reducing inhalation during the active spray is a sensible precaution. Many salons provide nose plugs; use them if they’re available.

Automatic Booth vs Manual Airbrush Tan — What’s Different?

The positions above apply primarily to automated spray tan booths. If you’re having a manual airbrush tan applied by a technician, the process is more conversational and flexible.

With a manual airbrush, your technician will direct your positions throughout — telling you exactly how to stand, where to extend your arms, and when to turn. Because the technician can see exactly where coverage is needed and adjust on the fly, you have more opportunity to communicate. If something feels uncomfortable, if you’re unsure how to hold a position, or if you want to flag a specific area, just say so.

Manual airbrush tans tend to produce a more customised result because the technician can build coverage selectively and blend around tricky areas like elbows, knees, and the hands. The overall position sequence is similar, but the specific prompts come from your technician rather than a recorded voice.

What to Do Immediately After the Spray

Let the Drying Cycle Finish

Once the spray is complete, the booth will switch to a heated air cycle to speed up drying. Hold your arms and legs extended — the same spread position as during the spray — until this cycle ends and you’re told the session is over. Closing your arms or pressing your legs together during the drying stage can cause transfer marks.

Check and Correct Any Streaks

Once you’re under normal lighting, look over your skin for any areas where coverage looks uneven. Minor streaks can be gently patted (not rubbed) with a clean dry towel to soften them. Rubbing smears the solution and makes the issue worse — always use a light patting motion and work quickly before the guide colour sets further.

Wash Your Hands and Feet Straight Away

This step is important and easy to forget. Rinse your palms, between your fingers, and the soles of your feet with water immediately after stepping out — or use pH-neutral baby wipes if you’re worried about washing off too much. The excess solution on these high-crease areas will continue developing if left on, and hands and feet are the most common areas for unnatural-looking results.

Wait Before Getting Dressed

Allow at least 15 minutes before putting clothes back on to reduce the risk of colour transferring to fabric. When you do dress, choose something loose-fitting and dark-coloured. Tight clothing rubbing against freshly sprayed skin is one of the most common causes of streaking before the solution has had a chance to set. For more on this, our guide on what to wear to a spray tan has specific suggestions.

What to Avoid After Your Session

Avoid water of any kind for at least 8 hours after your session — this includes showers, baths, swimming, and heavy sweating. As we explain in our guide on washing off spray tan too early, rinsing before the DHA has fully developed cuts the process short and results in a lighter, patchier finish than you’d get by waiting.

Also avoid:

Exfoliating scrubs or exfoliating body washes on the day of your tan
Shaving — for guidance on timing, see our article on shaving after a spray tan
Chlorinated pools, which break down the DHA reaction — more on this in our guide to spray tan and swimming pools
Tight waistbands, bra straps, or socks that can leave marks in fresh tan

Once you’ve had your first shower, applying a fragrance-free moisturiser daily will help extend how long the colour lasts. For a full breakdown of what to do next, our guide on what to do after a spray tan covers the aftercare routine in detail.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in the Booth

Even with good preparation, a few specific habits consistently cause problems in the booth. The most common ones to watch for:

Slouching or hunching forward — creates skin folds across the stomach and back that leave visible streak lines in the tan
Pressing arms too close to the body — blocks the nozzles from reaching the sides of the torso and underarms
Squeezing fingers together — creates dark lines between fingers where solution pools in the gaps
Tensing the face — any expression creases the skin and leaves those creases visible in the finished colour
Moving too slowly between positions — the booth continues spraying regardless; slow transitions create areas of overlapping coverage
Wearing deodorant — causes the greenish underarm reaction mentioned earlier
Skipping barrier cream — particularly affects knuckles, elbows, and feet
Getting dressed too soon — even 5 minutes is often not enough; 15 minutes is the safer minimum

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you wear in a spray tan booth?

Most people choose between a strapless bikini, a disposable thong, or going nude. Anything you wear will leave tan lines at the edges, so decide based on what coverage you want. Underwire bras and bikini tops with thick straps leave more obvious lines. Whatever you choose, hair should be fully up and covered with a plastic cap.

Do you need to hold your breath in a spray tan booth?

It’s recommended to hold your breath briefly during the active spray — particularly when facing the nozzles — to avoid inhaling the solution mist. DHA is approved for topical skin use but is not intended to be inhaled. Many salons offer nose plugs; use them if available.

How long does a spray tan booth session take?

Most automated spray tan booth sessions take around 60 to 90 seconds for the spray itself, with a short drying cycle after. From entering to getting dressed, the whole process is usually around 10 to 15 minutes. Manual airbrush sessions take longer — typically 20 to 45 minutes depending on the level of coverage and customisation.

What if the booth misses a spot?

Small missed areas or uneven patches are common, particularly around the sides of the body or inner thighs. If you notice them immediately after, a gentle pat with a damp cloth can sometimes smooth the edge. If the issue is significant, most salons will offer a quick touch-up. Going back the following day for a second application is an option if needed — we cover this in our guide on how often you can spray tan.

Can you spray tan if you have tattoos?

Yes — spray tan solution is safe to apply over tattoos. However, DHA can temporarily deepen the appearance of older, faded tattoos by reacting with the ink-adjacent skin. Fresh tattoos (still healing) should not be spray tanned over until fully healed.

Should you tip your spray tan technician?

For manual airbrush tans applied by a technician, tipping is standard practice — similar to other beauty treatments. For automated booth sessions, tipping is less common but always appreciated if the salon staff were especially helpful. The usual range for manual airbrush tans is 15 to 20% of the service cost.

Why do my hands and feet always come out darker than the rest?

Hands and feet have more surface creases, drier skin, and thicker skin in places — all of which cause DHA to absorb at a higher rate. Applying barrier cream to these areas before the session and washing your hands and feet immediately after stepping out are the two most effective ways to manage this.

Conclusion

Getting the positions right in a spray tan booth isn’t complicated — but the details matter. Standing straight, spreading your fingers, keeping your expression neutral, applying barrier cream to the right spots beforehand, and washing your hands immediately after are the things that separate a smooth, even result from a patchy one.

For first-timers especially, the experience is much easier once you know what to expect. The booth does most of the work — your job is to show up prepared, move confidently through the position sequence, and take care of the tan properly in the hours that follow.

For everything you need to know about looking after your tan once you’re home, see our full guide on what to do after a spray tan. And if you’re planning your next session timing, our guide on how often you can spray tan covers everything you need to know.