As I sat at my keyboard in January, I typed that question into a Google search bar and got several hits. As modern indoor tanning proceeds into a fifth decade in the U.S., I still marvel at the resiliency of our industry. Scoffed at in the beginning as a fad, the tanning business still offers opportunity to many entrepreneurs, albeit far less than the halcyon days of the 80s and 90s. Well, indoor tanning not only offers moderate and controlled UV exposure, sunbed sessions also provide significant stress relief for many. Although the Food and Drug Administration forbids us from promoting health benefits of indoor tanning (monitored by the Federal Trade Commission), we clearly have seen salon tanners refer to relief from psoriasis and acne symptoms, a boost in vitamin D levels and a counter to the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). On a cold and cloudy winter day, who doesn’t feel better after a tanning session? That’s what drove our industry back in the day: folks love the “look good, feel good” aspect of indoor tanning.
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I found a health website called Tonic that featured an interview with several twenty-somethings asking them why they tan indoors. In the first paragraph, they boldly claimed that nearly ten million Americans “wriggle inside these skin-fryers every year” and then offer a link to the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) most recent data on sunbed usage. I clicked on it, and the first item of note was the CDC’s statement that “nearly 8 million adults still tan indoors each year.” So, between the two of them, the statistics differed by only two million adults!
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Twenty-somethings will visit salons for the “look good, feel good” aspect of tanning and to enjoy some stress relief – just as so many of us have for decades.
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But I digress. Let’s hear about what drives some of these young adults to indoor tanning salons.
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- A young woman from the Northwest stated that she tanned through her high school years because she loved having darker skin and that it cleared up her blemishes. She feels that indoor tanning in the winter is also a confidence booster.
- A young woman from the mid-Atlantic claimed that indoor tanning makes her feel healthier and helps her escape the cold winter months. She’s concerned about over-doing it, but tans in moderation.
- A young man, also from the mid-Atlantic, said his cosmetic tan helps to conceal bad skin and is a confidence-booster.
- A young Midwestern woman uses tanning beds offered at the gym where she works out during the winter and spring.
- Another young, Northwestern woman said she uses tanning beds to get a base tan prior to summer sun exposure and tries to maintain a “healthy glow” year-round, but wears sunscreen on a regular basis while outdoors.
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So, as we enter 2019, it appears that the reasons to tan indoors are as popular and consistent as they ever were, and serve to support the recent gains and new ownership in indoor tanning over the last few years. As these twenty-somethings enter their professional careers and/or parenthood they, too, will visit salons for the “look good, feel good” aspect of tanning and to enjoy some stress relief – just as so many of us have for decades.
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