How to spray tan over a hairy chest

Curly, sparse, thick, wiry or unkempt — each hairy chest has it’s own personality. Luckily applying spray tan on a hairy chest, no matter its unique texture, isn’t as tricky as it might seem. Having said that, it can feel a bit daunting when you haven’t done it before, especially if you’re worried that thicker hairs will prevent the solution from reaching the skin.

Here’s what to keep in mind when your applying spray tan on a hairy chest:

The air from your spray gun will blow hairs out of the way as you apply each stroke of solution. The force from the air gun itself is generally more than enough to separate and lift the hairs so the solution can land directly onto the skin unhindered.

However, if your client is particularly hairy you might like to switch your standard tanning direction. For example, instead of applying solution from the head to the feet try it the other way round. Holding your gun at a slight upward angle and starting at the feet will gently encourage your client’s hairs to lift up on the legs, thighs, torso and chest. This will allow tanning solution to ‘grab’ the skin as the hairs blow up and prevent it from ‘catching’ onto longer growth.

If you’re used to tanning from the head down and it feels unnatural to start from the bottom simply aim your gun upwards a bit more than normal to create the same effect.

For textured, curly or matted hair that’s growing in a mix of directions try to spray in the opposite direction of growth if possible so that the hairs lift up to make way for the solution. Better yet, if you’ve got a comb handy ask your client to give their chest hair a quick comb through to separate any clumps and make it easier for you to see the direction of growth.