How Often Should You Use a Sunbed?
How frequently is sensible, why rest days matter, and how to build a base then hold it without overdoing it.
6 min readReviewed 19 June 2026
It's the question we're asked more than any other: how often should I actually be coming in? The answer matters, because tanning more often isn't the same as tanning better — and a little restraint gives you a deeper, more even, longer-lasting colour.
Here's how to think about frequency sensibly, whether you're building a base from scratch or keeping a glow topped up.
Always leave time between sessions
The single most important rule: give your skin at least 24 hours between sessions, and 48 hours is better, especially early on. A tan doesn't appear instantly — it develops over the hours after you leave — so back-to-back sessions don't deepen your colour, they just overexpose skin that hasn't finished responding yet.
Rest days aren't lost time. They're when your tan actually develops. Honouring them is how you avoid burning and how you get the even, gradual build that looks the most natural.
Building a base vs maintaining a glow
When you're starting out, a sensible rhythm is two to three well-spaced sessions a week, kept short and built up gradually as your skin shows it's comfortable. This establishes a base tan over a couple of weeks without rushing your skin.
Once you've reached a colour you're happy with, you need far less to hold it — often just one session every week or so. Maintenance is gentler on your skin and kinder to your minutes, which is rather the point of buying a course.
Let your skin set the pace
Your skin will tell you when it's had enough — tightness, pinkness or warmth all mean ease off and give it longer to recover. None of those are a sign to push harder. A great tan is a slow conversation with your skin, not a race.
Avoid stacking a sunbed session on top of a day in real sunshine, too. UV is cumulative whether it comes from a bed or the sky, so on a sunny day out, count that as your exposure and skip the bed.
How courses make this easy
Because we sell tanning by the minute as a course — a bank of minutes you top up and spend across visits — a moderate, spaced-out routine naturally stretches your course further. The maths rewards exactly the habit that's best for your skin.
If you're not sure what frequency suits your skin type and your goal, just ask. We'll help you plan a routine in studio at Corby or Kettering that gets you where you want to be without overdoing it. You can see how courses work on our prices page.