Reviewed by our expert team.
Talk to an expertAnswer · Session prep
As little as you're comfortable with. Red and near-infrared light doesn't pass meaningfully through fabric, so any covered skin simply doesn't receive the session. Most people use a bed either bare or in minimal underwear, with eye protection on. In a shared facility, follow whatever the venue requires.
Reviewed by our expert team for editorial accuracy.
The whole point of a full-body bed is uniform exposure across a large surface. A t-shirt turns your torso into a shadow, which defeats the reason you chose a bed over a targeted device.
Thin, light-coloured fabric passes a little more light than thick dark fabric, but neither is close to bare skin. If you'd rather stay covered, treat the covered areas as untreated rather than assuming partial benefit.
Remove makeup, heavy moisturiser, sunscreen, and self-tanner beforehand — anything on the skin's surface can scatter or absorb light, and some products are worth not heating.
Take off jewellery and watches. Metal in direct contact with skin can warm up over a session.
Keep eye protection on. This is the one item that isn't optional: a bed puts a large amount of bright light very close to your face for the full session.
Beds run warm. Being lightly dressed is usually more comfortable, not less, and good units include active airflow for exactly this reason.
Hydrate before and after. Sessions are short — commonly 10 to 20 minutes — but they're warm, and dehydrated skin is more likely to feel tight afterwards.
If you use a shared facility, expect to wipe the surface before and after. Bring your own eyewear if you'd rather not share.
Related questions
Still weighing it up?