Significance

• Tanning salons offer tanning services for consumers who are looking to achieve a suntan or benefit from UV, or ultra violet, therapy. Tanning salons often sell commercial tanning lotions and oils as a benefit to consumers and also to add to the profitability of the business. Tanning salons often offer tanning goggles for eye protection, bathing suits, towels and flip-flops for their customers as well as complimentary lotion samples. Other than having tanning beds and booths available, many tanning salons also provide other pampering services such as massage therapy, cosmetology and spa facilities that include body wraps, mud baths and body detoxifications.
  
  

Function

• Tanning salons attract customers looking to enhance their skin by tanning. Some people use tanning salons in the spring to get a jump start on their summer tans; others tan for medical reasons such as acne and eczema, and others tan for the UV benefits and feel it boosts their immune system and improves their appearance. Most tanning sessions are combined in a package in which the consumer prepays for the visits in advance or pays a co-pay per visit. Having updated amenities such as a credit card machine and cash register are essential in the cash flow of the business. Those who maintain tanning salons must perform daily duties to keep the salon running, such as sanitize the booths and beds, order supplies such as lotion and tanning lamps, replace burnt-out bulbs, vacuum floors and dust as well as launder dirty towels and washcloths.
  
  

Types

• The tanning bed is the most popular and is where the client strips down, applies tanning lotion and then lays on the bed and brings the top half of the bed down to close. This provides a well-rounded tan, and the client does not have to flip throughout the session. Hex booths are designed for the client to stand in and absorb the UV rays from the bulbs. This is popular for those who may be claustrophobic or want better control of how close up the bulbs are to their skin. Spray tans are also popular but are not generated from UV rays; instead the client is lead into a booth and then sprayed with a solution, then an operator uses a spray gun and paints a tan on the skin.
  
  

Time Frame

• When visiting a tanning salon for the first time, the owner should evaluate the client's health and skin type before placing her into a bed. If the client is fair-skinned or taking certain medications, such as an antibiotic, she may burn her skin or not tan at all. For the first time, the client should only be exposed to ultraviolet ways in a medium-powered bed for 5 minutes; this can gradually increase until the maximum amount of time of 30 minutes is achieved. Spray tans typically take around 15 minutes to fully complete.
  
  

Effects

• After visiting a tanning salon three or four times, the client can begin to see results as long as the skin has not burned--a light tan should begin to develop. White, pale skin as well as skin imperfections such as scars and acne are less noticeable with a deep, dark tan. For some people, a nice tan can make them appear healthier and thinner than what they were before the process. Maintaining the tan with moisturizers and frequent exfoliation will keep the tan longer. Frequent visits to the salon over months or years can damage the skin and cause skin cancer, so tanners need to limit the length of time they visit the tanning salon to prevent long-term damage.