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Past Questions from
Have You Ever Wondered?
Following are questions that have been published on this website before. The most recent ones have been added to the bottom of the list. We hope you find this free resource on indoor tanning to be of value to you, your staff and your tanning customers.
Some of my customers say that they get better tanning results outside using baby oil than in the tanning bed. Why is that?
From the tanning salon owner or operator’s perspective, this claim doesn’t even make sense. In reality it’s just not possible. But those customers’ claims are possible if we turn solid principles into variables.
Here’s one solid principle: the result the customer should be trying to achieve is a suntan, rather than a sunburn. Yet the customer may believe that the best tanning result comes with getting their skin to turn red first from sunburn. Apply mineral oil, or any other cheap stuff from some outdoor product to skin, then lie out for indiscriminate exposure times as most people do, and the outdoor tanner is going to end up with the desired red.
Because the customer doesn’t understand how to tan properly, they have changed a solid principle into a variable. If they were to combine a great indoor tanning product with correct exposure times, the customer not only would not see red, but depending on their skin type, they may not even see immediate results. In the confused customer’s mind, slow results translate into poor performing products and perhaps even poor performing tanning equipment. It will be your job to re-educate them on proper tanning technique, whether tanning indoors or out.
Here’s another solid principle: mineral oil is not a proper tanning ingredient. The customer’s perception is that they apply a substance on skin that appears to moisten skin. Because it is clear, it should allow tanning rays to pass right through and assist with tanning. We now have a variable that needs to be changed back to a solid principle through education.
There are actually two types of mineral oil – the traditional industrial grade, known for clogging pores and drying out skin; and the cosmeceutical grade that may not clog pores, but is well-known for its ability to dry out skin. If a person has a problem with oily skin the cosmeceutical grade may provide some relief, but when combined with tanning, the cosmeceutical grade may dry skin out too much and create a whole new set of problems (itchy skin and a reaction that causes skin to produce more oil than before clogging pores, etc.). Skin works best with tanning rays when it is moist. Skin may seem moist for the moment when mineral oil is added to it; but then mineral oil dries skin and can make an existing tan look whiter than before the tanning session ever took place. Mineral oil also minimizes UV exposure to a degree, making it a better sunscreen than a tanning agent. From a business standpoint, either type of mineral oil is harsh on tanning acrylic, so mineral oil should never ever be used.
Here’s one more solid principle: the customer’s perception of quality tanning products will be skewed when that customer is living on a budget. Your job is to present the best possible tanning products to your customers so that they know what is available to them and so they can maximize their tanning results in the shortest time possible. A customer that is telling you they are getting better results outdoors with an ineffective tanning agent, may be unknowingly telling you that they are on a tight budget. Try educating them on the first two solid principles that we discussed, then see if suggesting a good, budget friendly indoor tanning product makes the difference for them.
I have a new tanner in my salon who has tanned elsewhere. She told me that normally in her first few days of tanning she has no problems. However, after those first few days, she breaks out in an itchy red rash. Once it goes away, she doesn’t have any more problems. She said no matter where she has tanned at, she always has the same problem when she begins to tan again after an absence. I am wondering if maybe she is having an initial reaction to the cleaning chemicals? Before she gets in, the bed does get wiped down with a damp water cloth after sanitizing, but she still breaks out. Any assistance with this would be greatly appreciated so I may pass on my findings to her.
This is a really timely question. It’s also good that you clarified that you are wiping the bed down with water after sanitizing. This almost completely rules out a chemical response.
It’s a timely question because sun poisoning occurs most often in March and April. This is the time of year where tanners commonly try to pick up where they left off tanning back in August. They want to tan the full time because they were able to handle the full time back then. The response is one of a variety of break outs.
The break outs occur on a sun exposed area of skin. It can be anywhere. For one tanner, it might be the first time they start tanning each year, on the very first session. For another tanner, it might not show up for two or three or four sessions. It may take up to several days before the reaction shows up.
What does it look like? The appearance can vary, but it’s usually some form of itchy red bumps. They might appear like a cluster of mosquito bites or red irritated “rashy” areas that aren’t so well defined. The best way to deal with this is to have the customer stay out of the sun and stay away from indoor tanning for one to two weeks until the bumps go away. When they come back, start them out slowly to avoid a recurrence.
Are there other causes for itching after tanning? Yes. Heat rash is another tanning connected reason. The body moderates its temperature during tanning by perspiring. If sweat ducts are blocked, moisture can’t escape. One of the ways sweat ducts can be blocked is by simple contact with tanning acrylic. If a sweat duct can’t release moisture, it may begin to swell up like a miniature water balloon, holding both water and toxins. Both the toxins and the inflamed sweat duct can create the itchy sensation. The way to tell the difference between heat rash and other types of breakouts is that the other types of breakouts are always located near a hair follicle.
Dry skin is a really common cause for itchy skin too. Tanning naturally dries skin out. Besides producing great tanning results, indoor tanning products are also specifically designed to provide moisturizers that are both skin friendly as well as acrylic friendly. Some “moisturizers” that you might find in outdoor products can clog pores preventing skin from releasing moisture. They also clog pores in tanning acrylic and tend to block UV rays from reaching skin. This is one of the reasons it is so important to take advantage of professional indoor tanning products.
Sometimes chemicals used to produce various fragrances are the cause for the itching. These fragrances are used in shampoos, laundry soaps, skin lotions and various cosmetics. When introduced to skin, and especially when combined with UV exposure, itching can be the result. This is one reason that skin should always be clean and free of any of these products prior to tanning.
Is there any difference between the red that you get from tanning equipment and the red that you get from a tanning lotion?
This is a good question, and one that comes up periodically in the classroom. Simply put, the “red” that a person develops from tanning equipment or from sun is produced from overexposure to UV light. The red that comes from a tanning lotion is produced from the ingredients in that particular product. The red produced from too much UV light is a sign of damage. The red produced from ingredients in a tanning product produce increased skin circulation so that more oxygen can be delivered where it is needed during the tanning process. This increase in circulation is not a sign of damage at all. Some people still enjoy the sensation so much that their skin will turn purple. Turning purple doesn’t assist the tanning process. The marketing side of this is that your tingle based tanners can “feel themselves tanning.” Your customers don’t ‘feel themselves tanning.’ They feel the fire in the bottle.
What causes sunlamps to develop black ends?
Sunlamps have little filaments inside them, just like a standard light bulb does. You don’t see the one inside of tanning lamps because of the frosted coating inside the lamp. Sunlamps don’t have a coating on the inside of the lamp wall only. The filament has a coating of its own too. That coating wears down over time. Every time that sunlamp is energized, the filament is expected to heat up from room temperature to several thousand degrees in just fractions of a second. That rapid change causes small portions of the filament coating to vaporize and collect on the wall of the lamp. Eventually enough material collects on the wall of the lamp to blacken the ends. Black ends don’t necessarily affect UV output. They do indicate that the filament is wearing down, and that the remaining useful life of those lamps could be drawing to an end.
This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if your customers didn’t take it as seriously as they do. To them, it’s an indicator that they’re being put into a tanning bed with worn-out lamps.
A few years ago, the tanning industry responded by developing a different kind of starter that would reduce, if not eliminate, lamp blackening. Those starters cost a bit more, but their useful life is up to 10 years, versus the standard starter, which should be replaced about every other lamp change.
What's the best way to get cosmetics, nailpolish, or other items – out of acrylic?
This is a challenging problem at best. Suggestions over the years have ranged from relatively mild to very aggressive, depending on the need. You’re certainly welcome to e-mail me your additional tips and tricks – we can add them to the collection of suggestions listed here.
We’ll start by listing the mildest technique, and then get progressively more aggressive.
We’ll also assume that your standard cleaning protocol is insufficient, so let’s begin with soap and water. Soap and water are harmless enough, yet strong enough to remove standard cosmetics. If that doesn’t work, consider an acrylic polish. The abrasives found in an acrylic polish are very fine (really small) and are usually perfect for removing things like small scratches and other items that have adhered to the acrylic.
Sometimes that polish isn’t enough. Sometimes chemical tools are needed to get the job done. The remaining suggestions are progressively more powerful. The more powerful they are, the less desirable they become.
One of the more successful agents for removing cosmetics and stubborn spots like nail polish is denatured alcohol, ethanol or methanol. They are pretty fast fixes, and evaporate without leaving a residue, but there are downsides. The first, and most immediately noticeable is the smell. It’s powerful and unpleasant, so the best time to use this, is at the end of the day after your last customer has left. The next downside is rapid temperature changes. It’s best to start with acrylic that hasn’t been used in awhile so that it is reasonably cool when you start. Rapid temperature changes could potentially result in mild “crazing (this is the industry’s way of describing those miniature internal cracks in the acrylic sheet).” The formulation of the type of denatured alcohol (e.g. the addition of toluene or xylene) could also cause crazing if it is left on long-term, so it’s best to get the job done, then clean off the chemical. Another denatured alcohol is Naptha. It works even better at removing the offending agents, but has a greater tendency for leaving a mild haze if you use too much, or leave it on too long.
Nail polish is one of the most difficult items to remove. There are two different types of nail polish removers, one is acetone based and the other has amyl acetate or ethyl acetate and alcohol. Both types of removers are pretty dangerous to acrylic. They have ketones in them, so even the acrylic itself won’t resist the ability of the chemical to break it down. If you are limited to working with this option, be very careful to limit the size of the area you work on. Work quickly and remove the residue right away.
The least preferred option of all is the straight edge razor. You’re almost guaranteed to scratch the acrylic. Remember that acrylic is very porous, like skin is. The nail polish has gone into the pores, not just on the surface, this is why the risk is so great for scratching the acrylic. If the scratching is minimal, you may be able to resort back to an acrylic polish, but it is unlikely. Hopefully the offending spot is located in a corner of the sheet rather than in the middle somewhere.
What’s the issue with contacts being worn in a tanning bed? Is it okay, or isn’t it?
Rumors have abounded for years about the dangers of wearing contacts in the tanning bed. The most common is that the contacts would somehow melt into a person’s eyes. The second is that the contact itself would rapidly degrade and become problematic for the wearer. Neither of these is the issue. The most important thing to remember is that everyone should be wearing protective eyewear anyway, even if these rumors aren’t true. The only real issue is that eyes have a tendency to dry out during a tanning session, even if protective eyewear is being used. Always recommend the use of rewetting drops prior to tanning for those customers that wear contacts.
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