Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why isn't closing my eyes good enough?
Eyelids are not made of UV blocking material. The result is that UV passes through, damaging the cornea, retina and lens. Cumulative long term effects include cataracts and eyelid cancers. Always wear eye protection!
2. How do I prevent "raccoon eyes?"
Raccoon eyes occur for the same reason that some people who don't adjust the watch on their arm get raccoon wrist. Adjusting the protective eyewear occasionally during a tanning session will help to minimize this condition. The adjustment can be performed by gently sliding the eyewear to a new position. You should never lift the eyewear off of your eyes to adjust their position.
3. Why does a tan disappear?
The tanning process takes place in the epidermis (top layer of skin). The epidermis replaces itself approximately once a month. As the skin sheds, tans gradually begin to fade. In order for you to maintain that cosmetically pleasing tan, you need to return to rebuild and maintain what you have.
4. Why can't salon owners make any claims regarding established medical benefits of indoor tanning?
Tanning beds are considered as medical devices by the FDA, so only physicians are allowed to make medical claims. Tanning equipment operators may only make statements regarding the cosmetic benefits of tanning equipment.
5. What's causing the scent that I smell after tanning?
In a word, melanin. Ultraviolet light in the UVA range causes melanin to enlarge and turn brown. During the process, dermatologists say 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 been designed to minimize or prevent the odor from occurring, but ultimately a shower will remove the odor.
6. Can I use UV light from the tanning equipment to sanitize the acrylic?
UVA and UVB, which come from the tanning equipment, have never been effective at sanitizing. UVC, which lamps are not designed to emit, is used as an effective germicidal by other commercial industries. Even if the tanning equipment were effective at killing germs on the acrylic, we would still have to degrime the acrylic between use by every customer.
7. Why does some of a person's tan wash away?
The top skin layer is continuously renewing itself. The renewal cycle takes about once a month to complete and skin cells that have finished their cycle lay on the skin's surface until shaved or washed off. Since these skin cells also tan, the skin sheds or loses some of its tan when it is cleansed.
8. I'm over 40, and I don't seem to tan as good as I used to. Why is that?
The reason is that after 40 your body begins to lose melanocytes. Not to worry though. Through controlled, systematic exposures you can slowly replenish what your body began to lose.
9. Why did the FDA and other governmental agencies get involved in the tanning bed industry anyway?
UVB-only booths were consistently inducing erythema. Also, people were making inaccurate claims regarding the benefits of indoor tanning. Two direct results from prior history are:
a. UVB-only booths are now allowed only for medical use.10. Can I wear my contact lenses while tanning?
b. Both FDA and many state regulations prohibit the usage of the words "safe" and "safer than the sun" in any advertisement. Your state may also prohibit making any therapeutic claims about the tanning equipment. If we use the words "unlimited" or "unlimited tanning," we may be required to define what that means wherever we use the words. Obviously, there have to be some limitations on tanning.
Problems have developed in the past with contacts sticking to the eyes while tanning. The primary reason is due to demoisturization. Your whole body naturally loses some moisture during the tanning process, including your eyes. If somebody is going to tan with their contacts in, it is recommended that they not only wear protective eyewear, but use moisturizing drops prior to or just after the tanning session to prevent any discomfort.
11. What causes white spots?
There are several reasons that a person will begin to develop white spots. One common reason is vitiligo, which is characterized by irregularly shaped white patches of skin, surrounded by dark borders. The white patches are sensitive to UV exposure.60 Doctors will often use a lotion based form of psoralen (an extremely photosensitizing agent) and induce up to second degree burns on the specific areas. This in effect, reactivates dormant melanocyte cells into producing melanin again. In time the white areas will gradually begin to match the surrounding areas.
Another cause for white spots is a skin fungus known as tinea versicolor. This fungus actually begins in the hair and falls down primarily onto the upper body like dandruff (however, this is not dandruff). The affected areas prevent the skin from tanning and as a result create white spots. Sometimes the spots can be a little scaly. The fungus in tinea versicolor produces an acid that inhibits the production of tyrosinase in your skin's melanocytes, which in turn prevents the production of melanin in the affected areas. Treating tinea versicolor is fairly easy, but recovery may take up to several months. Shampoos like extra strength Selsun Blue are very effective at killing the fungus. Properly cleaned tanning equipment, by the way, will not spread tinea versicolor.
The third cause for white spots is caused by how a person lays in the tanning bed. Three areas of the body are affected by how a person lays in the tanning bed: shoulder blades, tail bone area, and the backs of the calves. What happens is that pressure is created on those areas of the body which restricts blood flow. A person needs UVA and UVB in order to tan; however, they also need oxygen (those who sleep in tanning beds often get these white spots). There is a simple way to minimize and even eliminate this condition-- take your right forearm (not your elbow and not the heel of your hand) and the bottom of your right foot and push up gently for a few seconds. This will relieve pressure on the right hand side of your body, allowing your skin to breathe for a few moments. After you have done this, you should lower your right side and raise the left side up the same way.
12. How does the tanning process work?
There are three components that make the tanning process work. UVB starts the tanning process by stimulating the tanning cells (melanocytes) to produce melanosomes, which contain melanin (pigment). UVA darkens the melanin that has been produced, but before that can happen, melanin needs a certain amount of oxygen to facilitate UVA. The third component, oxygen, comes from blood vessels beneath the skin and outside the skin. Of course, the tanning process can be optimized through the use of professional tanning lotions which contain nutrients for your tanning cells.
13. Does tanning indoors have the same effect as tanning outdoors?
The advantage is "control." You always know what you're getting from an individual tanning session. It is a very precise, calculated, controlled exposure designed to give you a cosmetically pleasing tan without burning your skin. When you go outdoors, you place yourself in an uncontrolled environment. You don't know how much you are getting and frequently tanning outdoors results in developing erythema (sunburn).
14. Can indoor tanning salons use their equipment to treat medical conditions like psoriasis, acne, and S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder)?
NO! In many states not only we are not allowed to treat medical conditions through use of tanning equipment, but we are also not allowed to make therapeutic claims other than the cosmetic darkening of the skin. Exposure to ultraviolet light has been demonstrated to be helpful to these conditions; however, only medical doctors are allowed to use tanning devices for medical purposes. In some cases a dermatologist may advise a psoriasis or acne patient to visit a tanning facility to help treat their condition.
15. Is it okay for pregnant women to tan indoors?
It is always best to get your Doctor's advise before tanning. We do not reccommend tanning if you know you are pregnant. There are no known ill effects from the lights, but a rise in body temperature is what should be avoided.
16. An indoor tanning session is equivalent to how many hours in the sun?
One study seemed to indicate that based on very specific controlled factors, a single tanning session is approximately equal to two hours of outdoor sun. However, this is a very controlled study. The fact is that the tanning bed is a relatively stable source in terms of energy output. The sun is a highly unstable source in terms of ultraviolet energy output. Factors that influence the sun's UV exposure are: clouds, pollution, dust in the air, ozone levels, elevation from sea level, geography, the season of the year, and especially the time of day.
17. Should people tan who have had skin cancer in the past?
NO! They shouldn't tan indoors or outdoors even though a doctor may have removed all of the skin cancer. You don't know whether or not another one may be forming in its place. Although not every skin cancer is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet rays, most are. You don't want to contribute to pre-existing damage that has not yet surfaced. However, the skin cancer that these people are seeing today is due to overexposure(s) they suffered 20 to 30 years ago.
18. Do I have to wear protective eyewear?
The answer is not only "yes," but it is important to emphasize the need and reason why you should wear eyewear. Federal Law requires that you wear special eyewear protection that meets Federal guidelines for use in this facility. Please buy your own pair of tanning eyewear to avoid risk of infections.
