If you are getting fed up with tan lines and are wanting a more smooth and seamless tan you might have come across tan through swimsuits, bikinis, or bathing suits. But do they work?
Yes tan through swimsuits do work thanks to using a special material that allows the UV light to pass through the material and onto your skin much better than other materials and fabrics.
Below we will get into this in more detail and explain how well these tan through materials work and if you really should buy some for yourself.
Do Tan Through Bikinis/Swimsuits Work?
Yes tan through bikinis do work surprisingly well. The material is designed to let through as much light as possible and while they aren’t quite as effective as nude tanning they offer a good alternative if you want to avoid tan lines and get your tan on.
If you are wanting to avoid tan lines these kinds of fabrics are an ideal choice. Most of the light will pass through and onto the skin which will allow your skin to tan more evenly without the concern for tan lines.
As we mentioned before tan through bikinis will allow most of the light and UV rays through but of course some will not pass through.
You can expect around 80% of the light to pass through the material. So, while not all the light will pass through the majority of it will. This means that the skin under the material should tan at a comparable rate to the rest of your exposed skin. Which makes the chance of tan lines much less likely.
Of course, if you are to spend a lot of time tanning in the sun there may end up being a slight difference between the exposed skin and the skin covered by the tan through material. Through the difference is usually minimal and barely if at all noticeable.
Benefits of Tan Through Swimsuits
The main benefit of tan through material is that it does its main job well. It allows most of the light through which results in a more even tanned look.
The material is usually lightweight and dries quickly when wet which makes for the perfect material for warmer weather and taking a swim in the water too.
Downsides of Tan Through Swimsuits
Due to how the tan through material works most of the designs used are either a floral or animal print kind of styling which admittedly is not to everyone’s taste. This is to help hide the fact of the material being quite see through.
Of course, if you are using the tan through material simply for tanning benefits then this shouldn’t be an issue.
But if you are wanting to look good or make a fashion statement chances are these tan through designs are probably not what you are looking for.
As we mentioned another downside is that some of these tan through materials are noticeably see through. If you hold them up to the light this will be more apparent. Of course, when wearing them it may not be even noticeable but in some cases it might be more revealing than you might prefer.
Another notable downside is the price. These kinds of swimwear tend to cost more than their normal swimwear counterparts. If you are on a budget choosing these kinds of swimwear might be off the table due to their typically higher prices.
Interesting Related Questions
Can UV Rays Go Through Swimsuits?
Typically, UV rays will pass at least partially through swimsuits depending on what material is used.
You can normally expect at least some of the UV rays to pass through the swimsuit’s material but quite a lot of it will likely be blocked.
Can You Tan Through Mesh Swimsuit?
Yes you can tan through a mesh swimsuit at least partially. The mesh part of the swimsuit is where more of the UV rays will pass through the material. Therefore, it’s a good idea to protect to skin even more with sunblock on this area especially if you are wanting to avoid getting burned or tanned skin.
What Color Swimsuit is Best for Tan?
The best colored swimsuit to wear with tanned skin is a color that contrasts your skin color.
If you have a darker tan lighter colors will often contrast the darker tan better. For example, if you have a dark tan baby blue and mint green offer a great contrast to the skin. If your tan is more subtle darker colors can still work well. For more advice check our article here – The 10 Best Colors That Go with Tan Skin.
How Long Does UV Swimwear Last?
UV Swimwear will last around 30-40 washes. That’s because the UV protection offered by SPF clothing gradually wears off while washing.
If you want to be cautious and maintain your skins protection it is a good idea to replace UV swimwear at least once per year to make sure you get the best possible protection.
Changes or replacing old UV swimwear will not need to be done as often if you have not used it as regularly. For example, if you have only washed it 3 times in 1 year it will not need to be replaced as soon.
Do Regular Clothes Block UV Rays?
Regular clothes do block at least a portion of the UV rays. How much of the rays are blocked will depend on the clothes material and thickness.
The thicker the clothes the more likely they will block more or most of the UV rays. Also, more dense materials like jeans tend to block UV rays extremely well.
A thinner and more lightweight material will be more prone to allowing UV rays to pass through. For more on this check our article – Can You Tan Through Clothing?
