The 6 most common mistakes people make before and after getting a spray tan — and how to avoid them

Some of the biggest mistakes Pino sees customers make is not properly preparing their skin before a spray tan. She said it's essential that you shower and exfoliate the night before or the day of your appointment (or before you self-tan at home).  

If you're prone to dry skin, Pino also recommends applying a little lotion after you shower to help. 

"Coming in dry will cause the tan to be very uneven, patchy, and not wear well," she said. 

"If you come in with a sunburn, your tan will most likely peel off as your skin peels and it will look 10 times worse than a regular tan," Pino said. "I highly advise against it." 

"You should let this stuff marinate on your skin undisturbed for the next six to eight hours," Pino said. "I was working at a tanning salon once where this woman did a spray tan and then put on patent leather pants and was going to go to the club — it is so perplexing to me!" 

"Please do a test trial before you decide to do any spray tanning, especially for your wedding," Pino said. "The clients that I really worry about the most are my brides because it's one day, no one is getting that back, and not everyone has a photographer that's going to adjust the coloring." 

Pino recommends wearing clothes that are loose and made of cotton when you head to your spray tan. 

"My favorites are loose, baggy cotton pants and a loose, cotton long-sleeve shirt," she said. "If you're going to wear a dress, make it long." 

If you do plan to wear a short dress, Pino said it's important to bring a towel to put on the seat of your car for afterward. 

"Please, for the love of God, don't sleep naked," Pino said. "That's a huge no-no because your hands are going to touch your body one way or the other, and the first thing that spray tan loves to transfer onto is your hands." 

"Nothing looks worse than a pair of messed up hands in my opinion," she added. 

If you do get orange hands, Pino has a special $5 trick that'll help save the day in a pinch (and you can buy it at your local pharmacy or supermarket).