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How To Tan Your Bald Head

Learning how to tan your bald head is a milestone for plenty of guys who go bald. It gives you that glowing complexion that comes with a sweet confidence boost.

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Why You Should Tan Your Bald Head

When you first go bald, you’ll probably notice immediately the stark difference between your skin tone and the skin tone of your head. It might even look like a swimsuit line. After all, your hair has been protecting you from the sun for all those years.

Tanning your head can even out that “swimsuit line.” Lots of guys even end up with some other positive side effects. Tanning can make you look a few years younger and more outdoorsy. For plenty of guys, it’s one way they boost their confidence and look good bald.

You should tan your bald head – but not outside in the sun, or underneath the harsh bulbs of a tanning bed. The UV light will hurt your scalp.

Instead, try a self-tanning option.

How To Tan Your Bald Head

You’ll want a men’s tanning lotion to start. Many are safe for use on your scalp, but check the bottle label to make sure that it doesn’t carry any warnings.

From there:

  1. Make sure you have a smooth bald head so that your skin tans evenly. Whether you use a razor or another hair removal method, touch up any patchy spots.
  2. Clean and exfoliate your head with a shampoo for bald men to remove any dead skin.
  3. Read the directions on your tanning lotion to find out how to apply it and how long to leave it on. Some are spray bottles, and others you’ll need to rub into your skin. It’ll take anywhere from 2-10 hours for the tan to really kick in. You’ll want to follow the brand’s directions on all those points for best results.
  4. Apply the tanning lotion to your whole body, not just your scalp. This ensures that your skin tone is even from your head to your toes.
  5. Once your waiting period is over, rinse off the tanning lotion in the shower (unless the bottle tells you otherwise.)

Voila! Hopefully your tan turns out well. If not, try one of these tricks:

• Use a shower brush or loofah to exfoliate the dark patches on your skin. It usually evens out the tan. (If you don’t have either of those on hand, you can make yourself an exfoliating sugar scrub instead.

• Mix baking soda and lemon into a paste, then apply that to the patchy parts of your skin and let it sit for a few minutes. It will strip your tan, so watch it carefully.

What About Sunbathing And Tanning Beds?

Sunbathing and tanning beds both use UV light to create a natural tan. It’s well-known that too much exposure to UV light alters the DNA of your skin cells and increases your risk for skin cancer.

That’s a risk that you don’t need to take.

Tanning lotion is a significantly safer option for evening out the skin tone of your bald head. And even if you don’t like that choice, there are other long-term remedies for improving your scalp’s skin tone.

How To Get An Even Skin Tone On A Bald Head

Aside from tanning, you do have other long-term options for evening out your skin tone on a bald head. None will work as quickly as self-tanner, but incorporate these into your daily hygiene routine:

• Exfoliate And Moisturize. A good skin care routine does a lot to even out your skin tone. Most shampoos for bald men will exfoliate and moisturize your skin for you, helping smooth out your complexion.

• Wear Sunscreen. Inevitably, your bald head will get tan on its own. To ensure that you don’t overdo it under the sun, wear sunscreen whenever you go out.

• Get More Vitamin C. You can incorporate more vitamin c-rich foods into your diet, like citruses and green veggies, or take a supplement. Vitamin C helps with collagen production, which keeps your skin looking youthful and even-toned.

Even more important than evening out your skin tone, remember to make healthy choices to keep your scalp happy when it’s bald.

Frank Edwards is a men's grooming & style expert who is "internet famous" for being able to simplify complicated grooming routines into easy, yet effective rituals any man can do. As a professional analyst, he has spent years researching the biggest brands, products, experts, best practices, and breaking news in the space. He takes this analysis, tests it out on himself, and then documents everything in his writing. As a result, his experience-based articles are considered by some to be the gold standard in men's grooming and men's style.