Sock tan, farmer’s tan, shorts tan, goggle tan—you name it, and I’ve probably had it at some point in my life. 

My most infamous of all these tans was probably spring of 2008. Location? Menlo-Atherton High School Lacrosse Tournament. It was during the middle of the season, and I must say my sock tan was at its worst.  Jillian Du, one of my teammates, decided to whip out her camera and take photos while we were practicing because it was the “perfect time for action shots.”

Later that day, she uploaded her pictures to Facebook and showed me one of when I was shooting. That shot was pretty intense, if I do say so myself, but at the time, I did not know how much my sock tan stood out. Soon, the embarrassment came. Some of the more memorable comments about the photo include, “haha joycee it actually looks like you’re wearing socks,” and, “omg she’s not wearing socks...?” Yes, that was just how pale my feet were.  I quickly clicked away from the picture, and as I shrunk deeper and deeper into my chair, a group invitation popped up. It was just what I needed: the Sock Tan Clan. There, I found that many others had the same problem as me. I was not alone.

Rather than staring at my feet and being somewhat blinded, however, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I developed a method which I like to call, “How to Get Rid of a Tan in Ten Days.” Of course, this is not a one-size-fit-all solution, since everyone has a different tan problems. Before you read any further, let me warn you about a couple of things.

First and foremost, and most importantly, wear sunscreen. Tan often, but tan safely. Sunscreen saves you from those deadly UV rays that can cause skin cancer. Spending a minute putting on sunscreen is better than getting surgery to remove the cancerous skin when you’re 50. A common misconception is that if you wear sunscreen you won’t tan. Wearing sunscreen does make you tan at a slower rate, but it also keeps your skin from burning. Try not to “spot apply,” because that will only further contribute to weird tan splotches.

Second, give yourself some time. The best tans come naturally. Sure, you can pop yourself into a tanning bed and expose yourself to all the UV rays you’ll ever want, but keep in mind that this type of intense exposure is ultimately dangerous to your health. This short-term beauty tan will turn into long-term wrinkles, and these fines lines, my friend, cannot be reversed. Don’t expect your body to turn instantly bronze and beautiful after a full-day of lying out in the sun—you’ll most likely just end up burning. Instead, aim for repeated exposure over a resonable period of time. Try to get out in the sun for one to two hours each day (while wearing sunscreen, of course). Also, don’t just lay there. Be active. Go for a jog, walk or frolic in a meadow. Moving around exposes all parts of your body to the sun and helps you get an even tan.

Third, try to target tan. Sock tans plague athletes. You can combat the sock tan by wearing flip flops or sandals whenever you are not at practice. Wear flip-flops with long pants so that your feet get the maximum exposure while your legs take a break from the sun. Hopefully, your feet will soon become the same shade as your legs. You can also apply this strategy for other parts of your body, but if that means you’ll be scantily clad, you might not want to use this strategy at school (see this issue’s story about the dress code).

All in all, whatever shade your skin is, embrace it and love it. If you are pale, in a sense it’s actually better because staying in the shade and avoiding the sun can save you from skin cancer and wrinkles. If you are naturally bronze, that’s great—but don’t forget to put on some sunscreen.