Spray Tan

When you compete in Figure, Fitness or Bodybuilding, you have to be spray tanned. It's not just a regular tan though, this is a very deep, dark tan and doesn't last for days like the one you would get at a tanning salon.

This is done to bring out the muscle definition.

Many people have Jan Tana do their spray tan. You book and pay online (and it's not cheap), they send you a preparation kit to exfoliate and moisturize a week prior, then you receive your tanning time via email. Don't ask at the front desk where they are, it's a secret. You must call the cell phone number they email to you. Why is it a secret? Let me tell you more.

They will set up the service in two rooms in the host hotel. They upturn all the furniture, move it against the walls then cover the entire room, the floor, the walls and parts of the ceiling with paper.

Once your time to tan rolls around, which is always the day prior to the competition, you scurry through the halls of the hotel in dark sweats or pajamas (I wear soft cotton flannel pajamas and they are only used for this one purpose), with your hair up and flip flops on. You look pretty bad. Hungry, skinny, no make up, ratty clothes and tired.

When you arrive off go the clothes, dropped on the floor, on goes the shower cap, and the show begins. The TV is on full blast so you can watch something at least while they tan your front side, but the sprayer is so loud it's pretty much impossible to hear anything.

There are pop up tents and large spray guns, and other tents with fans to dry you. They usually tan two people at a time, and two people dry, it's a tanning factory line.

This is all done completely naked. Yes, you stand in front of a stranger, next to other strangers naked, while you are spread eagle getting sprayed. The spraying is several coats, everywhere (but your face for women) and then they use a puff to get smears, drips, wrinkles (gasp!) and to smooth everything out.

When you are done, you move over to another tent where a fan blows on you to dry the solution. Once you are completely dry, you slip your clothes back on, try to get back to your room without being seen and then spend the rest of your time sequestered in your room so you don't smear or drop liquid on your skin, or white patches will appear. It makes for a long evening because you need to be so careful.

One time I was lounging naked in bed, watching T.V. eating hot chunks of steak, and rolled a piece all the way down my chest and abdomen and it came to rest on my thigh. I watched in horror as a huge trail of bright white spots appeared all down my body, at every point where the steak hit my skin.

Luckily, I had Kevin from Jan Tana there and he fixed it all without a problem the next morning. All I got was a "girl, you gotta eat with clothes on!"

Kevin is no longer a stranger to me, he has tanned me several times and does a great job! Here is a video of Kevin McClain tanning Ava Cowan. Now, a regular tanning session would not be performed like this, but it does make for a great show!