Getting a tan more literally means browning the skin through sun exposure. The darkening of the skin is due to the release of the pigment melanin, caused by the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Tanning - a bodily process, function, and activity - can also lead to skin damage and other long-term health hazards.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, women considered fair and freckleless skins attractive because tanned skin represented manual laborers. In the early 20th century, with the socio-economic shifts, tanned skin became in vogue. In the 1960s, bronzed skin often signified social status, wealth and good health. It was in the 1990s when researches proved that overexposure to the sun is a major cause for skin cancer, and people began to view tanning differently. Regardless of the health warnings, though, people continue to tain, both naturally and at tanning salons.

The concern over skin damage led to the development of self-tanning products, which give the appearance of a suntan without exposure to the sun. In addition, to prevent sunburn when people are exposed to the sun, various products such as sunscreen lotions, tanning oil, and creams are available.

Sun tanning, salon tanning, and fake tanning are the most common methods used for tanning. Sun tanning is the darkening of the skin by exposing it to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Fake tanning is the safest tan because it does not involve actual exposure to the sun, and it comes out of a bottle. The three main ways to fake a tan are bronzing powders, wash-off tanners, and self-tanners. Bronzing powders are applied to the face and are similar to that of a blusher. Wash-off tanner is the simplest method to create an instant tan. A smooth cream is applied to the body and is washed off at the end of the day. With self-tanning, which is one of the safest methods, products such as lotions, gels, wipes, sprays, and pills are used.

Certain preventive measures must be taken by those who choose suntanning. Making sure sunscreen used is effective in blocking both UVA and UVB rays is very important, as is applying it thickly enough to make a difference and using an even coating of it. Those using sunscreen should reapply it every 2 to 3 hours. It also helps to use anti-UV sunglasses to protect the eyes against ultraviolet radiation.