At the ITA’s Tanning World Expo in Columbus, a salon owner asked me this question: “Can you help me explain to my tanners the differences between my Level-I, Level-2 and Level-3 beds?”
This is a great question. As a consumer, how do you decide between a Honda Fit, Honda Civic or Honda Accord? All three will get you to your destination. Are you more concerned with price and mileage? What about comfort and style? It’s really a matter of personal preference, and what you are willing and able to invest for this experience.
It’s the same thing with tanning equipment. As per regulations, all tanning units, regardless of timer interval or lamp type, may produce a maximum of 4 MED (Minimal Erythemal Dose) during a session. An MED refers to the least amount of UV radiation a person can be exposed to which induces a distinct erythema or “pinkening” of the skin with 7-24 hours following exposure. Factors such as the transmissive quality of the acrylic shield, the distance of the lamps from the tanner, the ballasts used, bed geometry, electrical current/voltage, number of lamps and the distance between the lamps, and the effectiveness of the reflector system all influence what the manufacturer’s recommended exposure schedule and maximum timer interval will be.
Typically, the shorter the tanning system’s exposure schedule, the more lamps it has and the more spacious its design. Also, the higher-end beds tend to have more “bells and whistles” – premium features such as body-contour acrylics, air conditioning, high-quality sound systems, and much more.
Factors to consider when explaining the tanning levels: Is your tanner on a tight budget? Is comfort more important to them? Are they a Type A personality who wants to “get in and get out?” Or, are they like me and enjoy taking a nap during my sunbed session? All these factors come into play when choosing a tanning package.
Also, we human beings are creatures of habit. You have tanners who will only tan in “Room No. 4” even though you have the same bed in two other rooms. It’s your job to entice your salon guests to “upgrade.” You might offer a special for one week to tan in any bed for one low price. Or, if they spend a certain amount on lotion, they get a tanning level upgrade. Rental car companies offer free upgrades all the time, hoping that if you drive off in their full-size car, you’ll never go back to the compact or mid-size. You can still get a great tan from a 20-minute bed, but it will not be the same tanning experience as that of your higher-end beds which often have shorter exposure schedules.
Since I am from the lamp company side, let’s get back to lamps. I don’t care how expensive the bed is, if you have lamps that don’t produce a tan, you’re throwing money down the drain. For your low-pressure beds, you want a lamp with just enough UVB to stimulate the melanin, lots of UVA1 for pigment darkening and less of UVA2 which causes photo-aging (wrinkles).
Thanks to all for your great questions – keep them coming!
If you have a question you’d like to ask and possibly be featured in an upcoming article, please email sales@wolffsys.com.
