How to Tan Faster in a Tanning Bed: 8 Tips That Work

Tanning faster in a tanning bed comes down to two things: giving your skin the best possible conditions to respond to UV, and using your sessions smartly so the colour you build actually sticks. There’s no shortcut that bypasses skin biology, but there are several things most people get wrong that genuinely slow their results down.

This guide covers eight practical tips — from session spacing and lotion choice to skin prep and aftercare — with enough explanation behind each one that you’ll understand why they work, not just what to do.

Key Takeaways

• Higher-level tanning beds emit more UVA, which is the ray responsible for tanning — but you should increase levels gradually, not jump straight to the top.
• Indoor tanning lotions with tyrosine or psoralen actively stimulate melanin production, which speeds up colour development.
• Moisturized skin tans faster, more evenly, and holds colour longer than dry skin. Daily moisturizing in the days before and after your session matters.
• Exfoliate 2 days before your session — not right before — to remove dead skin and give UV a cleaner surface to work on.
• Sessions should be spaced at least 48 hours apart. Your skin continues producing melanin for up to 24 hours after a session, and tanning too frequently leads to damage rather than faster colour.
• Avoid showering for at least 2–3 hours after tanning to allow melanin development to complete without interruption.
• Consistency across multiple sessions builds colour much more effectively than pushing longer individual sessions.
• Every person has a genetic maximum for how dark their skin can get — once you reach it, longer or more frequent sessions won’t produce more colour.

1. Choose the Right Tanning Bed Level

Tanning bed levels — typically ranging from Level 1 to Level 6 — refer to the pressure and output of the lamps inside. Higher-level beds use high-pressure lamps that emit a greater proportion of UVA rays. UVA is the wavelength primarily responsible for tanning, so higher-level beds produce faster, deeper colour results per session.

Lower-level beds (Levels 1–2) use low-pressure lamps and emit more UVB relative to UVA. UVB is what causes burning, so lower levels are a safer starting point while your skin builds tolerance. As you move up the levels, UVA output increases and sessions typically become shorter in recommended duration because the beds are simply more powerful. For more detail on how these beds differ, take a look at our guide to what a high pressure tanning bed is.

The practical advice: if you’ve been using Level 1 or 2 and want faster results, move up by one or two levels rather than jumping straight to the top. When trying a higher level for the first time, reduce your session time by around 50% compared to what you’d normally do at a lower level. This gives your skin a chance to adjust without burning. Because higher beds work faster, you may find you need shorter sessions overall to achieve the same or better results.

If you have fair or sensitive skin, it’s worth being more conservative with this. Burning is counterproductive — it damages the skin, causes peeling, and sets your tan back rather than accelerating it.

2. Use an Indoor Tanning Lotion

A purpose-made indoor tanning lotion is one of the most effective ways to speed up results, but the type of lotion makes a significant difference. They’re not all the same.

Accelerators and maximizers are the most widely used. They contain ingredients like tyrosine (an amino acid) and psoralen that actively stimulate melanin production in the skin. More melanin means your skin darkens faster in response to the same UV exposure. They also contain heavy-duty moisturizers to keep skin hydrated during the session, which further supports the tanning process.

Bronzers contain DHA (the same active ingredient as self-tan) which adds an immediate surface colour on top of the developing UV tan. They’re useful for a quicker visible result but don’t actually accelerate the underlying UV tan in the same way accelerators do.

Tingle lotions cause a warming, tingling sensation by increasing microcirculation in the skin. This brings more blood flow — and therefore more oxygen — to the skin’s surface, which can boost the tanning response. These are best suited to experienced tanners; they’re too intense for beginners or sensitive skin.

For beginners or those building a base tan, start with an accelerator or maximizer. Apply it evenly across all skin that will be exposed in the bed, right before your session. See our full guide to what tanning lotion does for a deeper breakdown, or our best tanning bed lotions roundup if you’re looking for specific product recommendations.

3. Keep Your Skin Moisturized

Dry skin and tanning do not work well together. UV light has a dehydrating effect on the skin, and skin that’s already dry going into a session will tan less efficiently, develop colour unevenly, and fade much faster than well-moisturized skin.

The reason comes down to skin cell turnover. Dry skin tends to shed surface cells faster, which means the tanned cells are removed more quickly. Moisturized skin retains those cells for longer, meaning your tan looks better and lasts further between sessions.

In the two to three days leading up to a tanning session, moisturize at least twice daily — morning and evening — with a non-oil-based body lotion. Don’t apply moisturizer immediately before your session, as it can interfere with your tanning lotion and create patchy results. Let your regular moisturizer do its work in the days before, and let your tanning lotion handle the session itself.

Post-session moisturizing is equally important, which leads into tip 7.

4. Exfoliate Before Your Session

Exfoliating before tanning removes the build-up of dead skin cells on the surface that can obstruct UV penetration and cause uneven colour development. Fresh, smooth skin responds to UV more consistently and takes on colour more evenly.

The timing matters. Exfoliate two days before your session, not immediately before. Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive and its pores are more open. Going straight from exfoliating to a tanning bed increases the risk of irritation and uneven sensitivity. Giving it 48 hours allows the skin to settle and return to its normal state, so you get the benefit of the clean surface without the heightened sensitivity.

Use a gentle physical scrub or a mild chemical exfoliant. You don’t need to be aggressive — the goal is removing the outermost dead cell layer, not stripping the skin. Follow up with moisturizer after exfoliating to keep hydration levels up in the run-up to your session. For more on this process, see our guide on how exfoliating affects your tan.

5. Shave Before Tanning

If you shave any areas of your body, do it before your tanning session rather than after. The reason isn’t that body hair meaningfully blocks UV — it doesn’t, for the most part — but that shaving removes a thin layer of surface skin, which temporarily makes that skin more sensitive. Shaving after a tanning session risks irritation and can cause the fresh tan to fade unevenly in those areas.

Shaving before your session means you’re working with smooth skin that will absorb tanning lotion more evenly, and you won’t need to shave again for a while after the tan develops. As with exfoliating, ideally shave one to two days before rather than on the same day, to allow any minor skin sensitivity to settle. If you plan to both shave and exfoliate, do them together in the same preparation window to keep the recovery time in one block.

6. Space Your Sessions Correctly

This is the tip most people overlook, and it has a bigger impact on results than almost anything else.

Your skin continues producing melanin for up to 24 hours after a tanning bed session ends. Tanning daily means you’re going back into the bed before the previous session has finished working. Not only does this waste sessions — you’re adding UV exposure on top of a process that hasn’t completed — it also increases the risk of skin damage, burning, and long-term harm without producing proportionally more colour.

The standard recommendation from tanning professionals is to allow at least 48 hours between sessions. For most people building a base tan from scratch, two to three sessions per week at 48-hour intervals is the most effective frequency. Once a base tan is established, most people maintain with one or two sessions per week.

Spacing sessions properly means each one is building on fully developed colour from the previous session, which is how cumulative depth is achieved efficiently and safely.

7. Take Care of Your Skin After Each Session

What you do in the hours after a tanning bed session has a direct effect on how dark your tan gets and how long it lasts. Two things matter most.

Wait before showering. Melanin development continues for several hours after UV exposure. Showering immediately after a session doesn’t strip the tan itself, but it can dry the skin and close the pores in ways that interrupt the development process. Waiting two to three hours before showering, using lukewarm water rather than hot, and applying moisturizer afterwards gives the tanning process the best conditions to complete. For more detail, see our guide to how long to wait to shower after a tanning bed.

Moisturize immediately after. UV exposure dehydrates the skin. Applying a tan-extending lotion or a standard body moisturizer after your session replenishes that moisture, reduces peeling, and helps the colour last significantly longer. Aloe-based lotions are particularly good if your skin feels warm or sensitive after a session — they soothe as well as hydrate. Our best after tanning lotions guide covers the options in detail.

8. Be Consistent and Understand Your Skin’s Limit

A tan builds cumulatively across sessions — not within a single one. The most reliable way to develop deep, lasting colour is to be consistent with a regular schedule, follow the prep and aftercare steps above, and give it enough time. Most people see a noticeable base tan developing within three to five sessions, with depth building steadily from there over several weeks.

It’s also worth knowing that every person has a genetic ceiling on how dark their skin can get. This is determined by your Fitzpatrick skin type — the amount and type of melanin your skin is capable of producing. Once you’ve reached your natural maximum, adding more sessions or longer exposure won’t produce more colour. If you’ve been tanning consistently for several weeks and your tan has plateaued, you’ve likely reached your limit. This is completely normal. Our article on why you’re not getting darker in the tanning bed explains this in more detail.

FAQ

How long does it take to see results in a tanning bed?

Most people see the first visible colour change after one to two sessions, though the change is usually subtle. A noticeable base tan typically develops after three to five sessions. The depth and speed depends on your skin type — darker skin types (Fitzpatrick IV–VI) respond more quickly, while fairer types (I–II) tan more slowly and need more gradual progression. For a full breakdown by skin type, see our tanning bed time chart.

How many sessions per week is best for building a tan?

Two to three sessions per week, with at least 48 hours between each, is the most effective frequency for building a base tan. Tanning daily doesn’t produce faster results — your skin needs the recovery window to complete melanin production. Once you have an established base, one to two sessions per week is usually enough to maintain and deepen the colour.

What level tanning bed gets you tan the fastest?

Higher-level beds (Levels 4–6) produce faster results because their high-pressure lamps emit a greater proportion of UVA rays — the wavelength most responsible for tanning. That said, you should build up to higher levels gradually rather than starting there. When you first try a higher level, reduce your session time by about half to see how your skin responds. Burning is counterproductive and will set results back.

Should I tan every day to get faster results?

No — tanning every day typically produces worse results than every other day, not better. Your skin continues developing melanin for up to 24 hours after a session, so daily tanning interrupts this process while also increasing the cumulative UV damage. Spacing sessions 48 hours apart lets each session build properly on the previous one.

Do tanning lotions really make you tan faster?

Yes — accelerator and maximizer lotions contain ingredients like tyrosine and psoralen that actively stimulate melanin production, meaning your skin responds more strongly to the same UV dose. They also keep skin hydrated, which independently supports faster and more even colour development. The difference is noticeable, particularly in the early sessions when a base tan is still forming.

Why am I not getting any darker despite regular sessions?

You’ve likely reached your skin’s natural tanning limit — the maximum melanin your skin is genetically capable of producing. Every skin type has one, and once you’re there, more sessions won’t produce more colour. Switching to a higher bed level, rotating your lotion, or ensuring your skin preparation and aftercare are on point can sometimes unlock a little more, but if you’ve been consistent for several weeks with no further change, you’ve probably hit your ceiling. This is normal.

Conclusion

Tanning faster in a bed comes down to working with your skin’s biology rather than against it. Use the right level for where you are, apply an accelerator lotion every session, keep skin hydrated before and after, exfoliate in the days beforehand, and give each session the full 48-hour recovery window it needs. Do those things consistently and the colour builds steadily and predictably.

The two most commonly missed factors — session spacing and post-tan aftercare — are also two of the highest-impact changes you can make. If you’re currently tanning frequently without great results, those are the first things to adjust.

For a full introduction to tanning bed use, our tanning bed tips for beginners guide covers everything from choosing a salon to your first session.