For 26 years, I’ve been an industry advocate for wearing eye protection during all UV tanning sessions. Promoting the importance of using eye protection while tanning is my career – I’ve never branched out into lotions or other tanning products, because eye protection is too important to dilute my safety message. I’d like to tell you why eye protection is so critical to me and is critical to you and your salon.
Sadly, eye protection is not taken seriously in our industry. Many salons display a basket with sanitized goggles on their front counter. Those goggles are exposed to contaminants from the air, like colds and dead skin cells. If someone who is sick sneezes at your counter, everyone who uses your “basket goggles” is likely to get the flu. Please … put your goggles in a covered container!
The FDA has been working to change eye protection laws so that manufacturers make products that block more of the infrared spectrum to protect tanners’ eyes even better than our current stringent regs demand. One of my comments to the FDA was that we need to get more tanners wearing eye protection. When we interview tanners, we learn that only half of them wear it. We have to get everyone wearing FDA compliant eyewear! This goes for those who put a towel over their face, which provides an SPF of about 5; this doesn’t protect your face or your eyes!
So, why are so many not wearing eyewear when they tan? I think it’s due to fear of creating tan lines in the eye area (the dreaded “raccoon eyes”). What’s interesting is that in the UK, virtually everyone wears eye protection when they tan, and our British and Scottish friends aren’t sporting white eye rings.
I’ve spent two decades working on my product design to reduce the raccoon eye effect. And, of course, my competitors have, as well. Disposable eye protection is exceptionally adjustable. If you prefer a reuseable style, each goggle company makes different sizes and shapes, so you can offer your salon guests a style that works for them. Choosing eyewear for a tanner is like recommending a lotion product – use your knowledge and skill to match tanners with the eyewear that works for them. Does she have long eyelashes? Then, pick a disposable style made for long lashes or a goggle that has a deep cup with adequate lash room. Is the tanner going to keep his goggles clean? If not, then disposables are the best solution for avoiding infections from dirty goggles.
Texting while tanning is a discouraging new trend: tanners don’t wear any eyewear and have their eyes open. I’ve designed eye protection to allow you to tan and text, still offering a complete FDA-compliant UV block, yet, like sunglasses, you can see through it and easily text while lying in a tanning bed.
But why wear eye protection? The only cause of night vision loss is UV overexposure. A few indoor sessions without eyewear and your night vision has already diminished. Remember that your eyelids only block 25% of UV, they’re not adequate protection. UV overexposure is also the only cause of color vision loss, and no drug or surgery can restore it. There are a host of other issues with unprotected UV exposure, such as cataracts, growths on your eyes, macular degeneration … all things we want to avoid.
When you tan indoors, wear a pair of well-fitting eye protection and when you’re out enjoying the natural sun, wear sunglasses.
If you’d like our eye protection education kit to share with your staff and guests, email Brenda@WinkEase.com with your mailing address and ask for code: IST Education Kit.
