Pale Vs Tan Skin – Which is More Attractive?

When it comes to skin tone people often wonder which is better or more attractive – pale or tanned skin?

There is not a clear answer to which is more attractive, pale or tanned skin. It’s often based on personal preference, so we suggest going for what makes you most comfortable and confident in your own self.

If you have more natural pale skin you can darken it quite easily with spray tans etc. If you have darker skin you can also whiten or brighten your skin to make it lighter or more pale.

Below we will go into this comparison of pale vs tan skin to give all the important details.

Pale vs Tan Skin

It’s interesting how over the years the perception of both tanned and pale skin has changed back and forth.

Back in the earlier 1900’s being pale was associated with being more wealthy and someone who was more tanned was assumed to be someone who was of a lower class and often looked down upon.

Fast forwarding to today it depends on where in the world you are and who you speak to see who prefers a more tanned or pale skin.

Often in western countries a more tanned look may appear more attractive depending on who you ask. Giving a glow to more pale skin is highly desired amongst certain people and cultures but that isn’t the case with everyone.

For example, in a lot of Asian countries like Korea or Japan many people don’t want any tan at all. They want to keep their skin as white or pale as possible. It’s quite common they might even buy products to make the skin appear whiter. So, it’s clear for these people that they really prefer a lighter more pale look.

In countries like USA, it might be considered that a tanned look is more desirable than a pale look. It’s no surprise that that there is a high demand for tanning in a host of forms including natural sun tanning, spray tanning or even tanning beds to name a few.

But that is not everyone’s preference, you could say overall more people are leaning that way than towards the pale skin preference though.

Tan vs No Tan

Choosing between a tan or no tan is up to your own personal preference. If you do have pale skin or a lighter tone it’s quite simple to get a tan applied such as a spray tan or even a self-tanner. Of course, if you have right skin for it you can also go for a natural tan or even use a tanning bed.

If you have darker skin you have options for different whitening products, but these tend not to be quite as effective as the tanning counterparts. Often the best way to keep the skin as light as possible for someone with a darker skin tone is to keep out of the sun or wear protection in the form of sunscreen or even hats etc.

If you aren’t sure if you want to go for a tan we say go for it and see how it goes. If you are a beginner we suggest trying out a spray tan or even self-tanner. This is completely safe for your skin. We also recommend to first go for a lighter color to start and see how you like it before trying out a darker tone.

Interesting Questions

Do Guys Like Pale or Tanned Skin?

There is no one answer fits all for this question. Some guys prefer more tanned skin whereas some prefer more pale.

It can depend on where you are in the world if there is any pattern. For example, a western country like USA might prefer a more tanned look whereas in many Asian or African countries a pale look is often more desirable.

Of course, these are loose patterns as everyone is different and so are their own preferences.

Does a Tan Make Your Prettier?

Again, this question does not have a one answer fits all. Some people might argue a tan makes you look better whereas others will argue it looks worse and not as pretty.

One thing here to note is that a tan often can help hide skin blemishes such as acne or stretch marks for example. So, it could be argued that it helps with them issues.

Why Do Westerners Like to Tan?

The reason here is because some westerners like a more tanned look to their skin. They think a tan makes them look more attractive.

For someone not from the west this might seem unusual as they sometimes have a different perspective of keeping the skin as light as possible as well as protecting it from the sun at all costs.

This goes along with pale skin preference and also keeping the skin protected from UV rays which will also help with minimizing aging of the skin in the long run.