What to Expect on Your First Trip to the Tanning Salon

(By Maria Cole)

Planning to get that nice tan you've always dreamed of? If sunbathing is out of the question because of your location, nosy neighbors or beach bums, your best bet is a tanning salon.

Tanning salons take the pain out tanning in many ways. There's no need to travel far too some beach making the experience inconvenient. Tanning salons are much more accessible to wherever you are. You'll get an even tan in half the time; thus, eliminating the time it takes outside just to get the right shade. And if you have any reservations about going naked to have the right tan, you'll enjoy the privacy offered by tanning salons.

To get an indoor tan, tanning salons usually rely on tanning beds. Depending on how you view them, tanning beds may look like clam shells, coffins or space capsules. People lie in these beds to get the tan they want which may take several weeks or several months. This deep dark tan can be maintained by regular visits to tanning salons.

There are two types of tanning beds. Horizontal beds allow you to lie down while you tan and vertical ones make you stand up in a cylinder. Both work the same way but the vertical units reportedly work faster and can prevent those imperfect tan lines from lying down.

Most tanning beds use anywhere between ten and twenty 100-watt ultraviolet light bulbs. Each bulb contains an inert gas and trace amounts of mercury. When these bulbs are turned on, the mercury atoms are agitated by the flow of electrons and thus become unstable. This releases minor amounts of radiation which encounter a phosphorus coating on the bulb. What escapes from the bulb is the light that creates your tan.

"These UV bulbs emit UV-A and UV-B rays which mimic the effects of sunlight on your body. UV-B rays stimulate the production of melanin in your skin. Melanin is a chemical in your epidermis, the outer layer of the skin that changes the color or shade of your skin when stimulated. UV-A rays oxidize the melanin helping it produce a darker color," he added.

To make your trip to the tanning salon a pleasant one, keep these things in mind: consult your doctor before getting a tan. If you are light-skinned and have a family history of skin cancer, lying in a tanning bed may not be a good idea. Take note of the medications you're taking. Some drugs including certain antibiotics can increase your sensitivity to tanning and cause rashes or burn your skin.

Weeks before getting a tan, exfoliate your skin using exfoliate creams or bath puffs. Make sure you don't break or scratch your skin in the process. This takes off the dead layers of the skin and helps UV rays reach the new skin underneath resulting in an even tan.

Avoid products containing alcohol since these will dry the skin and make tanning difficult. Other no-no’s are make-up, deodorant and perfume. Before lying in a tanning bed, don't forget to wear goggles to reduce the risk of cataracts and blindness. For those using horizontal beds, they can avoid tanning lines by moving the arms and legs in different positions. Lastly, consult a doctor before using a tanning bed to make sure it is right for you.

(Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Cole)

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