When I change lamps in my tanning units, do I need to protect my eyes?
Yes! It is critical for an equipment maintenance tech to wear eye protection when they check lamps or change lamps in your salon. There are inexpensive safety glasses designed just for this use and every salon should have a few pairs on hand. Check with your favorite distributor to order.
Some techs wear sunglasses, but the shape and design rarely block the UV light from all sides and provide adequate protection. They also tend to have dark lenses, which makes it difficult to see when you’re working in a dark room and haven’t yet turned on the sunbed.
It’s also a great idea for your spray-tan tech to wear clear maintenance glasses when spraying your salon guests and the FDA recommends your techs also wear nose filters and eye protection to keep solution over-spray from coming in contact with their mucous membranes (nose, eyes).
I choose not to tan my face so during my sunbed session, I cover it with a towel. Is it true that I don’t need to wear eye protection?
The fabric of a towel or t-shirt offers a SPF of only 5 or 6 – it’s not blocking the UV light from your face and it is NOT protecting your eyes. If you don’t want to expose your face to UV rays, you need to use a product with an SPF of 25 and wear FDA-compliant eye protection. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if water can go through it, so can UV rays. Cotton balls, towels and t-shirts are not adequate protection. They may keep you from getting a tan, but they don’t protect your face or eyes from over-exposure to potentially damaging rays. You may want to try face-protective products instead of applying a lotion with SPF, but it’s best to also wear eye protection with the face covers.
For my tanning sessions, I wear my own goggles. Do I need to clean them?
Yes! The most important detail of owning your own goggles is to keep them in a clean place when you aren’t wearing them – a Ziploc baggie is a great idea. Many tanners carry their goggles in their gym bag, rattling around with sneakers and sweaty clothes, which is a great incubator for bacteria. Some women carry goggles in their purses, where they pick up all sorts of crud and makeup, also very unsanitary. If you wouldn’t throw your unprotected toothbrush on the floor of your car or in the glove box; why would you carry your goggles the same way?
Anti-bacterial dish soap is good for cleaning your goggles at home after every tanning session. Rinse thoroughly and make sure you dry them and store them in a clean place.
DON’T microwave, boil or put your goggles in an automatic dishwasher, as the plastic is not made to withstand those temperatures.
