How to Fix a Farmer's Tan

A farmer's tan, in which only the arms, face and neckline of an individual have been tanned from the sun, can seem a little odd when it's time to take off your shirt and hit the beach. With the advent of sunless-tanning procedures and tanning beds, however, it's now easy to fix a farmer's tan.

Things You'll Need

• Exfoliating skin cleanser
• Loofah or abrasive sponge
• Moisturizing lotion
• Sunless-tanning lotion
• Tanning bed or booth
• Sunscreen

Instructions

1. Exfoliate your skin before you try to fix your farmer's tan. Find an abrasive skin cleanser that uses natural ingredients, such as sea salt and granulated fruit seed, and scrub your paler areas with a loofah or an abrasive sponge or glove. This will help to remove dead skin cells that can make a tan appear splotchy or uneven.

2. Moisturize the areas you want to tan with a mild soap or lotion. If you have somewhat oily skin, you may want to choose a glycerin-based moisturizing lotion that may help to reduce the chance of seeing pimples or blemishes once you tan.

3. Choose your tanning method to fix your farmer's tan. It may be easier to pick a sunless-tanning lotion when trying to even out tan lines, since you may appear a bit odd trying to cover your arms, face and neck at the beach while exposing your white torso. Sunless-tanning lotions, when applied sparingly in layers, may be the easiest options for blending the edges of your tan as well.

4. Select a tanning salon to fix your farmer's tan. In the privacy of a tanning bed and booth, it may be more convenient to cover the right spots to facilitate a consistent, overall tan. In addition, you can control your exposure to ultraviolet rays in short, controlled bursts, so that you can match the tone of your skin more precisely.

5. Receive a spray-on tan from a trained technician. He can use an airbrush to gently blend your skin tones. While this method may be time-consuming and expensive, it is the easiest way to eliminate your farmer's tan temporarily.

6. Fix your farmer's tan naturally by using a stronger sunscreen on the areas of your skin that are darker and by using a milder sunscreen (with an SPF factor of less than 15) on your paler body parts.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're opting for a spray-on tan, make sure that you moisturize and exfoliate your skin in between applications to prevent darker shades around your knees, elbows and ankles.