FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Answers to you questions!

1. How does tanning work? Tanning beds use ultraviolet (UV) light to tan people. There are three types of UV; UVA, UVB, and UVC. Tanning beds are designed to concentrate optimal levels of UVA in conjunction with very low percentages of UVB. UVB stimulates melanin production and UVA oxidizes it causing the tanned appearance on your skin. The more melanin cells that are present in the skin determine the amount of pigment that will be excreted and distributed, and therefore the extent of the tan. Tanning beds are designed to filter UVC as this is a harmful type of UV.

2. How deep can tanning rays really go? There is an urban legend about a “Roasted Tanner” who supposedly roasted her internal organs by tanning too much. Don’t give it a second thought. A UVA ray (the rays in tanning beds) can only travel as deep as the dermis which is the middle skin layer. UVB only penetrates the epidermis which is the outer layer of skin.

3. Why is it important to develop a base tan? A tan is your body's natural defense against the sun. Moderate exposure to UVB helps develop a natural barrier in the skin to protect the body from excessive UV light. UVB stimulates the production of melanin which then surrounds the core of cells to protect DNA. Melanin absorbs and/or scatters radiation. In addition, UVB thickens the epidermis (the top layer of skin), there by limiting the amount of UV light, which could penetrate the lower skin layers. If a base tan is not developed, sunburn can occur and the DNA of the skin cells may become damaged. Repeated sunburn may result in damaged cells which then reproduce themselves. The golden rule of smart tanning - Don't ever sunburn.

4. How long does it take to get a tan? This depends upon the skin type of each individual as well as the tanning equipment they are using to develop their tan. While some may notice significant results in just a few sessions, it can take others several weeks of tanning three times a week to get a “base tan”. Output of the tanning equipment and the tanning lamps is also a factor. Tanning accelerators also speed up the tanning process.

5. Do I have to sunburn first to obtain a good tan? Absolutely not! Like most activities in life, indoor and outdoor tanning must be done in moderation. A beautiful tan is achievable without overexposure. Reddening is a body’s warning that the skin has been overexposed to ultraviolet light. Do not ignore this warning. If you continue to expose red skin to ultraviolet rays, the skin’s natural repair mechanism becomes overloaded. This may lead to chronic light-induced skin damage in which the resilient fibers of the lower skin layers are harmed, causing them to sag.

6. Does heat of the bed matter? No, the temperature of the tanning unit does not play a role in your tanning results. You will not receive a better tan if it is scorching hot or average to the touch.

7. I have reached a point that I just can't get any darker.
What can I do? Your skin actually becomes thicker as your tanning progresses and makes it difficult for ultraviolt (UV) light to penetrate the upper layers of skin. This is commonly referred to as a tanning "Plateau". Tanning accelerator and moisturizer without mineral oil is extremely important at this point. Our recommendation is to use tanning lotion and even refrain from tanning for a few days. This will give your skin time to recover from previous UV exposure and develop more melanin which is what gives you your color.

8. My face and legs don't tan very well. What should I do? These are areas of the body that may be naturally dryer than other areas. Moist skin tans much better that dry skin. Dry skin will actually reflect UV light. Use a quality moisturizer without mineral oil at least twice daily. This is not only applicable to the face and legs but all parts of your body.

9. A 20-minute session in a tanning bed is equivalent to how many hours in the natural sun? It is difficult to make a simple comparison between the sun and modern indoor tanning equipment. Just as various kinds of indoor tanning lamps and equipment differ in spectral output and energy emitted, the sun's strength is dependent on several factors as well, such as the time of day or year, the latitude, cloud cover, pollution and reflection. Consequently, there is no formula for relating indoor tanning exposure times to outdoor exposure times.

10. Is indoor tanning the same as tanning outdoors in the sun?
Yes and no. The process of tanning is the same because of the use of Ultraviolet (UV) light. The main difference, however, is that a person can not control the amount of UV light they are exposed to while outside due to changes in the earth’s atmosphere. While tanning indoors, you are in a controlled environment and your risk of burning is lessoned when taking the advice of trained Tanning Consultants.

11. Can I tan if I am pregnant? Please consult your physician. Although we know that there is no danger from ultraviolet rays since they cannot penetrate deeper than the dermis (second skin layer), pregnant women are advised to be cautious with saunas, hot tubs, and other things that can cause excessive heat to build up in the uterus.

12. What causes White Spots? There are several reasons why white spots become noticeable on the body once the tanning process begins: Patches of skin, which do not tan, could be the result of genetic determination. White spots could also appear due to the presence of a fungus, which lives on the skin's surface. We call these sunspots (medical term, tinea-versicolor). While the fungus is harmless, it does not absorb ultraviolet light, which would normally penetrate the skin. This fungus did not appear as a result of tanning; it merely becomes noticeable once tanning occurs. It can be remedied through the use of prescription drugs or topical lotions sold at our salon. Sunspots usually occur on the cheeks, shoulders, neck and chest. Pressure points may cause white patches of skin, which are often prominent on the shoulder blades and just above the buttocks. These can be caused by pressure from the body as it reclines on a hard tanning bed surface. This pressure inhibits the flow of blood through that area of skin. Since blood carries oxygen, which is essential to the tanning process, this area does not tan. Periodic body shifting during tanning will make these patches disappear.

13. Should I shower after a tanning session? Taking a shower after tanning will not wash your tan away. Since ultraviolet (UV) light penetrates your skin, it cannot be washed off. A shower may cause your skin to cool getting rid of the reddening that the heat flux of the bed caused, but it will not wash away UV light. Remember, it takes a few days and sometimes up to a week for the full results of your tanning session to appear.

14. What causes the scent that I smell after tanning? Melanin is the cause. Ultraviolet light in the UVA range causes melanin to enlarge and turn brown. During this process a chemical reaction takes place. A natural side effect of the reaction is the aroma. This occurrence is normal whether you've been tanning inside or outside. Some tanning lotions have an anti-bacterial ingredient that reduces or even prevents the odor from occurring, but ultimately a shower will remove the odor.

15. Are there certain medications that will make me sensitive to UV exposure? Yes, you should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have a question on any of the medications that you are currently taking. Even household items like ibuprofen, allergy/cold medicine, herbal supplements and birth contol may cause sensitivity.