Q: Why do people patronize indoor tanning facilities?
 A: People enjoy sunlight and tanning-outdoors, under the sun, or indoors in a professional tanning facility- for myriad reasons. While tanning facilities in the United States are equipped to deliver cosmetic tans using protocol designed to minimize the risk of the sunburn, we know that clients come to facilities for more than just a good tan; they also come to enjoy the positive psychological and physiological effects of regular exposure to ultraviolet light.

Q: Why is indoor tanning more responsible than outdoor tanning:
A: Indoor tanning, for individuals who can develop a tan, is a smart way to minimize the risk of contracting sunburn while maximizing the enjoyment and benefit of having a tan. In a professional indoor tanning facility, trained personnel teach tanners how their particular skin type reacts to sunlight and how to avoid sunburn- both outdoors as well in the salon.

Tanning in a professional facility today minimizes the risk of overexposure to UV light because tanning devices in the United States are regulated by the FDA. In the United States, overexposure times for tanning sessions are derived from a schedule displayed on every piece of tanning equipment, this schedule helps to deliver a dosage of the UV light that is designed to minimize the risk of sunburn.  Regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, the schedule also takes into account how long an individual has been tanning, increasing exposure times gradually to minimize the possibility of burning. This kind of control is impossible outdoors, where variables including seasonality, time of day, weather conditions, reflective surfaces and altitude all make  sunburn prevention more difficult.

Q: What is a base tan?
A: A tan is the body’s natural protection against sunburn. Your skin is designed to tan as a natural body function. Each year millions of Americans visit professional indoor tanning facilities in the spring prior to sun-filled vacations or outdoor summertime activities, to establish what tanners call a “base tan”. Doing so enables vacationers to gradually increase their exposure to ultraviolet light without burning.

Q: How is “moderate tanning” defined?
A: Moderation means avoiding sunburn at all costs. How to accomplish this goal will mean something different to each person. That’s one way the indoor tanning industry can help. Salon professionals attempt to educate tanners on how to best avoid sunburn for their individual skin type.

Q: Is moderate exposure to the sun or ultraviolet light good for your health?
A: Absolutely. There is a growing body of well-constructed, validated scientific research demonstrating that the production of the activated form of vitamin D is one of the ways the body controls abnormal cell growth. Moderate exposure to sunlight is the only way for the body to manufacture the vitamin D necessary for producing activated vitamin D

Q: How does the skin make vitamin d and what limits its production?
A: Sun or UV light is the fuel that permits the body to manufacture vitamin D. But the amount of vitamin D formed in a given period of exposure depends on the color of your skin- that is, how rich your skin is in melanin. Melanin absorbs UV radiation. Therefore it diminishes the production of vitamin D.

The darker a person’s skin, the longer he or she has to be in the sun or exposed to UVB radiation to form a significant amount of the vitamin D. Like melanin, sun screen also absorbs UV radiation and therefore greatly diminishes the skin’s vitamin D production. For example, sun screen with PDF of 8 diminishes a person’s ability to produce vitamin D by 95% . In addition winter sunlight in the northern latitudes (New York City, Boston, and San Francisco) does not have enough UVB radiation to produce vitamin D in the skin. This is why many Americans are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, especially in the winter.

Q: What are the five basic types of lotions?
A: Accelerator-Accelerators are any lotion that has the ingredients to enhance the skins ability to achieve a tan. Professional accelerators are for any tanner who wants great color but not the stimulating effects of a tingle product or the added color of bronzers. Accelerators have great moisturizing properties and added vitamins and minerals to give the skin what it needs.

Bronzer- Bronzing lotions are the perfect answer for the customer who wants MORE! Bronzers add an extra hint of color with every application. Apply bronzers with a circular motion, washing hands after application.

Tingle-Tingle products stimulate the surface of the skin by causing micro circulation, much like the flush you feel from exercise. They cause the melanocytes to rise to the surface of the skin very quickly, allowing the absorption of UV rays faster, thereby producing a darker, longer lasting tan.

Tingle with Bronzers- A tanner should treat these types of lotion like a bronzer. Beware of heavy vs light bronzers.

Moisturizers- A tanner must replenish the moisture lost due to the heat of the lamps and the body fans cooling you during your session. It is important to use a good moisturizer when tanning. When you invest time and money in achieving beautiful color, don’t walk away without a professional after tanning product.

Q: What is that “burnt skin” smell from tanning? What causes it?
A: Foremost, it is not “burnt skin”. That smell is known as the “after tan odor” and is caused by friendly bacteria on the surface of the skin. The smell is the result from the bacteria when your body/skin gets hot from a tanning bed. Many tanning lotions contain specific antibacterial ingredients to eliminate that “after tan odor”. Moreover some products contain wonderful fragrances that further mitigate the after tan odor and enhance your tanning session.

Q: Why is it important that I wear my eyewear?
A: The potential risk to your eyes from UV light can lead to both temporary and/or long term damage. As the UV rays penetrate the eye they can cause burns, cataracts, and other vision problems that can be irreversible. Your eyelids are to thin and do not produce enough melanin to be able to protect your eyes from uv light. You might think a towel might be enough to protect you from the uv light, but a towel provides little protection. It will only stop about 25% of the UV light, while proper eyewear will stop 99.9% of the UV light.

Q: How do I prevent “raccoon eyes”?
A: While wearing eye protection during your tanning session, you should slightly adjust your eyewear, just as you would adjust your watch while outside to keep from getting tan lines.

Q: Do I need to wait to shower after I tan?
A: You may think that showering might “wash away” your tan, but that is not true. Your tan is from UV light penetrating the skin and cannot be washed away with water or soap. However, natural exfoliation causes the skin to naturally fade over time. That is why best results occur when tanning maintenance is practiced in addition to moisturizing your skin daily.

Q: How many hours in the sun is an indoor tanning session equivalent to?
A: According to one study, one tanning session is equivalent to two hours of outdoor sun. One must take into consideration that the sun is an uncontrolled source. The tanning bed is extremely stable and has controlled amounts of UVB rays. The sun however has many factors that affect the amount of UVB that gets through to your skin, such as weather, pollution, seasons, time of day.