Since COVID slammed into our country bringing many businesses to a stall and causing many to abruptly close their doors, I thought I’d try to shed some “positive light” on the issue.
As variants of the virus have surfaced and infection numbers have ebbed back and forth, our resilient industry adjusted and moved forward. One of the byproducts of COVID may have been a lot of time spent working from home – by couples … who had nothing to do. Okay, maybe they had a little “something” to do, if you catch my drift. It is, therefore, not surprising that pregnancy numbers swelled during this time frame (pun intended). And with that, perhaps a corresponding increase in the number of women who sought some warmth, relaxation and UV exposure in the months prior to their impending blessed event.
Which brings forth the question to salon operators: “Should you allow a pregnant woman to use a UV session?” As successful graduates of our Sun is Life® Certification program have learned, UV light primarily interacts with the skin’s top layer (epidermis) and reaches the dermis layer. A small amount may even migrate into the subcutaneous layer; however, the UV radiation lacks sufficient energy to penetrate past those layers. This is the fact that refutes the decades-old urban myth of the young woman who, after having six or seven sunbed sessions in one day delivered at several different facilities, “fried her internal organs” and subsequently died. But the media and public sometimes get sucked in by sensational tales such as this one.
A quick Google search of the subject revealed this nugget of wisdom the New York Post published just a few years ago. “Though it may not happen often, people have died in tanning beds before. In 2018, a 27-year-old man was found dead on the floor of a tanning room inside a New Jersey gym.” Well pardon me, counselor – but it would appear that being found dead “on the floor” is quite different from being discovered in a sunbed having apparently expired as a result of UV exposure. The defense rests.
But, I digress.
When it comes to possible adverse effects of UV exposure, it has been recommended that pregnant women should avoid jacuzzis, whirlpools, saunas, sunbeds and other sources of heat. Heat – not UV light. Women have basked in the sun’s light for years during pregnancy, flocking to beaches, lakes and pools each summer. But it’s the high temps that they should avoid. Here’s a possible scenario: A young woman who has a year-long membership informs the salon staff that she is pregnant, then produces a note from her doctor approving her use of indoor tanning sessions. What to do?
Well, she did produce a doctor’s note, right? Based on that fact, I admit that many would (and in fact, have) allow her to tan. However, does that doctor’s note completely absolve you and your salon of any potential non-UV injury to this guest, such as a slip and fall in your facility?
We live in a litigious society and as a best practice, it’s suggested that salon operators consider this when weighing the options for serving this guest. Offer to lock or freeze her membership, allowing her to return with no penalty after her baby’s birth.
I’ll mention now that we covered sunbed use and its effect on breast milk production/feeding in a recent Sun is Life column. Want to know more? It’s time you check out Sun is Life Certification!
