Taking aesthetic sun-kissed photos beside a window is quite common nowadays. Well, who doesn’t like to sit in the warm shiny sunlight peeking through the window and enjoy the beautiful mood of the weather?
Ever wondered if you could get a full tan like the ones you get from a salon just by sitting by the window?
Turns out you can actually get a tan from a window. However, there is a lot of research going on the topic and everything is not clear yet.
So, I have decided to write about everything I know on this topic. Since you know that tanning is possible through a window, you might have a question about how long does it take to tan through a window.
Read the whole article to get to the details. But in short, it takes 2-3 hours.
Can you tan through a window?
Well, I already told you that you can get a tan through a window. But that depends on the window type that you are sitting beside.
In modern days, most panes of glasses absorb almost 97 percent of the harmful UVB ray that’s the main reason behind sunburn as well as skin cancer.
Also, they captivate 37 percent of the UVB ray which is less harmful to our body and is the main ray needed for a tan.
So, there are a lot of possibilities that you can get a really good tan through a window. On the other hand, ordinary windows found in older homes, come with less UV protection and are thicker.
So, you can’t really get a good tan from a thick window. Also, without a UV filter, it will be dangerous for your skin to sit beside those windows for a long time.
You can get a good tan through a window if the sun is comparatively strong and you are getting the sunlight directly. However, in this case, there are risks of sunspots and wrinkles on your skin.
Can you tan through an open window?
Yes, you can get a slight tan through an open window. But the sun has to be strong and you should get the sunlight directly, not a slight touch.
But there’s a high chance that your tan will be an uneven one. Because it’s almost impossible to sit beside the window at an angle that distributes the sunlight evenly all over your body.
So, unless your window is really big you might be getting only blemishes. Also, you should know that the sun moves around quite fast. That’s really unlikely that you will get longtime sunlight from a window.
Also read:
Can you tan through a window screen?
Window screens include UV filters that absorb most of the harmful parts of the UV ray and lets the least harmful portion pass through.
The UV light that passes through the window screen can easily cause tanning and sunburn to your skin. When you are hoping to get tanning from a window screen, you will have to wait for a long time beside the window.
Though the glasses come with sunlight protection, the UV ray coming through can still be harmful to your skin. So, you shouldn’t just rely on that.
Make sure to apply some high-quality sunscreen before sitting beside the window to get a suntan. Also, you should know that the window screens are only capable of filtering the UVB ray that causes you sunburn.
But the UVA ray is still quite effective and is very harmful to your skin and body. Too much exposure to that can cause serious diseases to your skin including cancers and photoaging.
Can you tan through a house window?
As I mentioned earlier, you can get a tan through a house window but it depends on the structure. You can easily get a tan through modern house windows that come with UV filters but are thin.
However, older home windows are made with thicker glasses and they don’t have much sun protection. So, trying to have a tan through those windows is not only harmful but also not possible.
If you are hoping to get a tan from your modern windows, there should be strong sunlight. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get a tan, only blemishes.
However, this is not recommended since the house windows are very small and you can never have an even tan through them.
Also, will take a lot of time to get even close to a tan. It’s possible that the sun might not be beside your window by its actual time for a tan to arouse.
Can you get vitamin d through a window?
When you are struggling to get a good tan from the window, asking for some vitamin D seems like a luxury, right?
Though you will be getting direct sunlight from your window, unfortunately, you won’t get any vitamin D from it. Vitamin D is an important element for our strong bones and normal blood pressure and we usually get it from our exposure to the sunlight.
Mainly the UVB ray in the sunlight is responsible for vitamin D production in our body.
But when you are getting a tan through your window, the UV filter in the glass blocks away most of the UV lights necessary for vitamin D production.
So, no vitamin D through a window. The best way to get vitamin D is to expose yourself to the sunlight for a few hours every day.
That should give you enough vitamins for your life. Also, you should eat more food and fruits that contain the vitamin.
Nowadays, you can get some pills from which you can the necessary Vitamin D for your body. But you should consult a specialist first.
Can you get a sunburn through a window?
No, you can’t. Sunburn is caused due to the UVB ray in the sunlight and you mostly get it from longtime exposure to the sunlight.
When you are sitting beside a window, the window filter blocks away most of the UVB rays coming through.
So, it’s very unlikely that you can get sunburned from that. However, I have heard about some cases where you can get sunburned the window you are sitting beside is really big and the sunlight is very strong.
In that case, it’s possible that you can get slightly sunburned.
How long does it take to tan through a window?
Now, it’s time to answer the most awaited question. The answer is: it depends on three factors.
Your skin tone: Every kind of tanning usually varies on your skin tone. If you have a very light skin tone, there’s no chance you can get a tan through a window. So even if you sit for hours beside your window, the best you can get is a reddish tone!
If you have a medium skin tone – sitting beside the window for 2-3 hours constantly can have an impact on your skin color. Dark tones don’t get tanning. So, if you have a dark tone, you probably shouldn’t try.
The time of the year: The sun doesn’t give the same sunlight throughout the whole year, does it? In summer, the sunlight is strong, and sitting in that for 2-3 hours will give you a tan look. But in winter, the sunlight is mild and gives away a little number of UV rays. You can never get a suntan in winter.
This also depends on the day. Summer can be too strong and another one can be a little chilling. So, you will have to sit for a long time in the chilling days.
Glass type: The last important factor is how much UV ray your window glass is filtering. If it absorbs 70% of the ray, it might take longer to get a tan. Whereas if it captivates only 30%, you can get a tan lot faster.
Can I get A Tan through Car Windows?
That depends on how much time you are spending inside your car. The car windows are generally designed to 60% of the UV ray.
However, the laminated safety glasses can take away 99% of the light and the tinted low emissivity glasses can block away 90% of the UV light.
So, the longer time you spend in your car, the more is the possibility of getting a tan. However, you should know how weird that tan can get. You sit on a car seat on a side, right?
So, you will only get tanned on the side facing the window!
Besides that, if you spend too much time beside the car window, you will get at a high risk of skin cancer and wrinkles. So, considering all the facts, you are strongly discouraged to try getting a tan through a car window.
Wearing Sunscreen Indoor
It is highly recommended that you apply sunscreen before sitting next to the window. The window glass indeed blocks most of the UV rays coming through but it’s only effective for a little time.
When you are trying to get a tan through a window, that means you will have to sit next to it for a few hours.
In that much time, a small portion of UV rays can cause a lot of damage to your skin. So, always wear high-quality sunscreen when you are exposing yourself to the sunlight, even indoors.
Tanning Lotion
Though getting a tan through a window is a really rare case, but if you are willing to try that, make sure you are well prepared.
That includes applying a tanning lotion too. Tanning lotions are very important to stimulate the melanin production in your skin that causes the skin to get darker.
So, if you want to get a proper tan, you should always apply tanning lotion. Otherwise, you will only get sunburned instead of a tan. Now, you might be confused about whether to apply an indoor or outdoor tanning lotion.
Since you will be exposing your body to the UV ray from a room or your house, it’s better to apply the indoor tanning lotion.
Why you shouldn’t get a tan through a window
Most experts discourage people to try getting a tan through a window. There’s a number of reasons why:
- You can never get a good tan through a window. Your skin can get only a little darker.
- Even if you manage to get a tan, it will never be an even one. You will have a lot of stains all over your body.
- Though window glasses filter most of the UV radiation, it’s still harmful to your skin since you will be sitting there for a long time. There are risks of wrinkles, photoaging, and skin cancers.
Final Thoughts
If you ever managed to get a good tan through a window, you will undoubtedly create a history!
However, no matter how cool and money-saving that sounds, you should never try to get a tan from the sunlight through your window.
Now that you know how long does it take to tan through a window, you should understand that getting a tan from a tanning bed or tanning salon is much safer and time-saving than this.
I sincerely hope that this article has helped you with finding your answers. Don’t forget to mention your thoughts in the comment section!
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