FAQs
-- Question and Answers from www.smarttan.com
Q: When can a person shower in relation to a tan, before or after, and how much time should a person wait between showering and tanning?
A: This is a pretty common question. There's no problem with showering just prior to tanning because it clears the skin of any potential barriers that might hinder the tan. Applying a tanning lotion right after a shower will help the lotion absorb more readily into the skin and prepare it for the tan. The exception is with lotions that make your skin heat up and "tingle"—proximity to the tanning session time is a little more critical with those lotions.
Ideally, a person should probably wait a few hours after tanning to take a shower. The reason: Skin takes a while to process the light that it has received into a tan. Taking a shower right after a tan won’t eliminate the tan altogether, but it will minimize the total impact of that individual session.
Q: What is sun poisoning? Can I get it from tanning indoors, like I can from tanning outdoors?
A: Polymorphous Light Eruption, the medical community's technical term for sun poisoning, is a skin reaction to intense exposure to ultraviolet light. Since indoor tanning lamps produce ultraviolet light just like the sun does, sun poisoning can be produced from either indoor or outdoor tanning. March and April are by far the most common months for an individual to develop the condition. The reason is that people commonly don’t stop to consider that their skin has lost that natural protection they developed by August of the previous year. Persons who have developed sun poisoning should stop any tanning activity for about a week and a half, or until the skin reaction has disappeared. Tanning should resume in reduced exposure levels until the skin has been gradually reconditioned to ultraviolet light.
Q: Sometimes after tanning I itch, but I'm not burned. What causes this "itchy" sensation and how can I cure it?
A: Scratching does wonders (just kidding). The primary reason(s) for that tanning itch is dry and/or overheated skin. To cool the skin, try using a spray bottle with water in it. Itching can usually be relieved with a good skin moisturizer. Your favorite tanning lotion manufacturer will have a great product with extra moisturizing ingredients in it.
Q: What causes tanning rashes?
A: There are several ways a person could get rashes from tanning. The most common, by far, is sun poisoning. Sun poisoning most commonly looks like rashes. Essentially, sun poisoning is the result of too intense exposure(s) during initial tanning sessions.
Another cause of tanning related rashes is photoallergy. Most salon operators are familiar with photosensitivity, the sensitivity to ultraviolet light that is caused by certain medications and foods. Photoallergy is an allergic reaction that is produced when combining ultraviolet light exposure with certain medications. One type of allergic reaction could be the formation of rashes.
If rashes are just on one side of a person’s body or around the eyes, then they are probably due to a response to the sanitizer that is being used on the acrylic and protective eyewear. Even when mixed as directed, some people with more sensitive skin will develop a reaction to the sanitizer. The preventive step is to rinse off the residue of the sanitizer with water after you have completely sanitized the acrylic or eyewear.
In rare cases, a customer could develop a temporary rash from a reaction to a specific ingredient in a tanning lotion that he or she used. It is thought that most lotion-related rashes are caused by inexperienced tanning operators and/or inexperienced “tingle”-based tanning lotion users. New tanners need to start out with low or no-“tingle” tanning lotions and then gradually condition their skin for the hotter lotions.
Q: Can someone who has a tattoo, scars from burns or incisions tan indoors? Should special attention be given to these areas, where skin is more sensitive?
A: Really there are a couple different situations that need to be addressed a little differently. Persons with fresh tattoos have had chemicals injected into their skin, which can make that local area very sensitive to UV exposure while the tattoo is still healing. After about two to three weeks, when the skin has had a chance to heal, people should cover their tattoos with sunscreen or chapstick to protect the tattoo from further exposure. At this point the chemicals have lost their photosensitivity. The tattoo, though, has the ability to fade with exposure to UV, whether that UV comes from indoors or outdoors.
Scars are a little different issue. Here, the skin has tried to compensate for damage done to the affected area. In most cases, scars, whether from incisions or from burns, generally don't tan very well. Instead, they often become sensitive to UV exposure, and can burn more easily. Persons with scars are advised to use sunscreen on those areas to minimize UV exposure.
Q: Can you help me explain to my customers why outdoor lotions can't be used with indoor tanning equipment?
A: Explain to them that outdoor tanning lotions ruin tanning acrylic. The same goes for baby oil and other outdated tanning technology. Even if outdoor lotions didn’'t ruin tanning acrylic the customer should still avoid them. Ask your customers, "What kind of tan are you hoping to achieve?" If they want a cheap tan, tell them to "Go to a discount store, get a discount lotion, step outdoors and get a discount tan." But if they want a professional result, your salon is the place to come. Explain to them, "Not only do we use professional equipment, the tanning products we carry deliver a professional result."
If the customer has another moment, continue. A couple of things are happening during the tanning process. First, your body is losing moisture. This is natural, and will take place whether you tan indoors or out. Professional tanning products include high-quality moisturizers that your skin needs to replenish what was lost. Second, despite our tanning equipment’s powerful capabilities, everyone has a natural tanning limitation. Most lack the nutrients skin needs in order to achieve its maximum tanning potential. Professional tanning products provide these. So feed your skin what it’s starving for.
Q: Why do my hands and face not tan as well as the rest of my body?
A: Your customers will occasionally ask you the same question. Or, they may wonder why their legs don’t tan as well as or as quickly as their arms.
First, consider why the face might give us tanning problems. Women put make-up on the face. Just as the chemicals in some make-up can make the skin photosensitive to UV light, it is possible that some chemicals in make-ups might hinder the tanning process. Removing all make-up before tanning is always advised.
Men shave, and this scraping of the skin, along with any preparations used to ready the skin and whiskers for the process, play a part in helping the skin shed tanned cells more quickly.
The skin's renewal cycle takes about a month and skin cells that have finished their cycle lie on the skin’s surface until shaved or washed away. Since these cells also tan, the skin sheds or loses some of its tan when it is cleansed. Many people cleanse the face even more often than the rest of the body, thereby hastening the sloughing of tanned skin cells.
The legs present a slightly different situation. Some people experience a problem tanning their legs in a stand-up unit and should try a tanning bed instead. In a tanning bed, position might be checked. Feet should be spread for half the session, then together for half to expose all sides of the legs. The manufacturer of your tanning equipment may also have suggestions.
If a tanner is over 40, it helps to know, this is about the age that the body begins to lose melanocytes, the pigment cells that help the skin tan. Controlled, systematic exposures can slowly replenish what has been lost.
To optimize your ability to tan every exposed part of the body, indoor tanning lotion should be worn on every area of skin exposed! Remember that clean, moist skin tans best.
A bronzer, or even a self-tanner, is useful in helping less tan areas blend with the rest of the body.
Q: I have some customers who are getting stripes on their backs. Can you explain what is going on?
A: Sure. More than likely the person is either new to tanning or you've just changed lamps in the bed that person was laying in. In both cases, the tanner apparently laid still. Eventually skin spreads and evens out melanin production. However, to avoid future complications, advise your tanners to shift a little during the tanning session.
Q: How do medications alter the tanning process? Which types of medicines should I avoid while tanning?
A: Medications and other substances (e.g. dyes used to tattoo the skin, certain foods, etc.) can sensitize a person’s skin to ultraviolet light. The reaction to that sensitivity could either be photoallergic (where the skin reacts to UV exposure by breaking out), or photophobic (where a person must protect his or her eyes from brighter light sources). The most common reaction is photosensitivity. Photosensitivity occurs when the level of UV exposure needed to produce a burn is reduced. So instead of helping someone to tan more easily, photosensitizing agents should be thought of in terms of how easily they cause a person to burn.
Q: Why do 40-year-olds and those who are older not tan as well as they used to?
A: After a person turns 40, his or her body begins to lose melanocyte (tanning) cells. The result some people notice is a reduced ability to tan. However, the body also knows how to adapt to its environment. If this same person, who seems to be losing his or her tanning ability, were to tan regularly, he or she could actually increase his or her ability to tan, just like when the person was younger. This also translates into greater ability for skin to protect itself from potential overexposure.
Q: Can I wear my contact lenses while tanning?
A: Yes, unless your eyes are irritated from overuse or some other reason. If they are irritated, the pressure from wearing protective eyewear may further irritate the eye. In that case it would be suggested that tanning be delayed until the eyes have recuperated.
The primary concern with this question is usually moisture. Eyes lose moisture during the tanning process, just like skin does. To prevent any temporary discomfort resulting from dryness, explain to your customers with contacts that they need to use rewetting drops for their eyes either before or after they tan.
Q: Several of my customers have reached a plateau. How can I help them break through that plateau?
A: It depends on what is causing the plateau. Sometimes a person needs to alternate between a couple of tanning lotions or oils, based on the nutritional and moisture needs of his or her skin. Medications, and even a poor diet, can cause a temporary plateau. A couple of cold, hard realities your customer may need to face are his or her tanning goals and limitations. If the customer’s goal is to look like a piece of charcoal, he or she may need to adjust his or her goal to something that is a little more realistic.
Everyone also has a genetic limitation. Skin type II individuals won't ever be able to reach the depth of color that a skin type V can achieve from tanning. If your customer happens to be a tanning addict, it’s time he or she gives his or her skin a break. Organs usually require at least occasional rest, including skin. You might explain to your addicts that taking a reasonable break from tanning allows the skin to properly rebuild itself. If your customer is still unsatisfied, he or she may need to try a bronzer from a bottle.
Facts VS Myths
Closing your eyes during tanning is enough to protect them MYTH
FACT: The eyelid is very thin and provides no protection against the light emitted in tanning beds. It blocks less than 25% of the light Always wear government approved eyewear when tanning indoors.The UV rays emitted by the tanning bed are more powerful than the sun MYTH
FACT: There is no formula for relating indoor tanning to the sun. Why? There are too many factors involved. Such as the spectrum of light emitted from the bulb, its level of intensity, even the coating on the bulb. The sun’s strength also varies with its angle to the earth, season, weather disturbances, particles in the atmosphere, etc.I have to be hot in order to get a tan MYTH
FACT: Body heat has nothing to do with getting a tan. The tanning process is not related to being hot. That is why you can tan or burn while skiing in the snow covered mountains.Being tan from a spray tan will protect me from the sun. MYTH
FACT: A spray tan is nothing more than a cosmetic bronzing treatment. It will not protect you from getting a sunburn. The tanning industry recommends you use an SPF product when spending time outdoors.