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Are there
certain medications that will make me sensitive to UV exposure?
How do you determine
how long to tan someone on their first visit?
Can I tan if I'm pregnant?
How many times will
I have to visit Planet Sun to get a good base tan?
Will a salon tan protect
my skin from sunburn?
Do suntan lotions really
help the skin tan faster and better?
Will my skin wrinkle
if I tan?
Is it OK to burn and
let it "fade" into a tan?
What about skin cancer?
Why do some doctors
say tanning salons are dangerous?
Do I really have to
wear those goggles?
Do I have to take
my contact lenses out when I use a sun bed or booth?
Can I catch a disease
from a sun tanning booth or bed?
Can I tan if I'm pregnant?
Studies show that the frequent tanner does not
have to stop tanning because of pregnancy; ultraviolet radiation
does not pose any threat to the developing baby itself*. However,
if you are pregnant and wish to tan at Planet Sun, we do require
a written "note of permission" from your doctor.
*Information courtesy of Looking Fit Magazine.
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How many times will I
have to visit Planet Sun to get a good base tan?
Depending on your skin type, it will take from
1 to 8 sessions for you to begin showing good color. Traditional
sun beds of the most common design will require about 8 sessions
spread over about 2 weeks to produce good color. Newer quartz
lamp "high pressure" designs use different kinds of
tanning rays and much higher intensities to produce color in only
1 or 2 sessions for most skin types. Many modern sun beds fall
in between these extremes and can produce a lot of color in 3
to 4 sessions. You will generally get what you pay for. Please
remember that a fast tan is more cosmetic than functional. A tan
needs to be maintained for a longer period of time in order for
it to be functional in protecting from sunburn.
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Will a salon tan protect my
skin from sunburn?
Probably. The amount of protection received depends
on the type of equipment used. Some of the newest quartz lamp
sun beds and booths with "pure UVA" output offer faster
color but less sunburn protection than more common sun bed designs.
The traditional sun beds - including the beds at Planet Sun -
use both UVA and UVB rays to offer an increased resistance to
sunburn. The protection level may never be exactly as high as
if the suntan were achieved outdoors in the tropics, but it will
reduce your chances of burning when you do get outdoors for fun,
sport, or travel.
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Do suntan lotions
really help the skin tan faster and better?
Yes. Planet Sun offers a wide variety of skincare
products, including accelerators, Hot Action lotions, and after
tan moisturizers to help you maintain a beautiful tan. Our Salon
Professionals will gladly assist you in finding the best tanning
lotion to fit your needs.
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Will my skin wrinkle
if I tan?
It may. And it will probably wrinkle if you do
not tan. Diet, genetics, and certain behaviors - such as smoking
cigarettes - will wrinkle your skin more than moderate sun tanning.
Over exposure is the problem, not moderate exposure
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Is it OK to burn and
let it "fade" into a tan?
Absolutely not! The first rule of a smart tanner
is to Never Sunburn. At Planet Sun, we'll teach you how to tan
smart and avoid sunburn at all costs.
Many people grow up thinking that if they don't
experience a slight red or pinkish tinge after they tan that they
didn't "get anything." The truth is that the red or
pinkish tinge you see is actually sunburn (or erythema)--your
skin's worst enemy. The fact is that the sunburns we experience
due to the lack of information when we are growing up are the
very things that lead to skin damage later in life.
Smart tanners know that the key to avoiding sunburn is moderation
in terms of UV exposure. The best way to ensure a "smart
tan" is to take advantage of the years of research that have
gone into tanning equipment to provide you with a controlled,
predictable dosage of UV light. Also, use lotions to moisturize
your skin before tanning and, if you do tan outdoors, remember
that the sun emits whatever types of UV rays it wants. Several
other environmental factors come into play with outdoor UV light,
making exposure unpredictable.
Don't rely on the color of your skin to tell you
when you get out of the sun. Overexposure isn't evident sometimes
until hours after the sun's gone down. It's better to use a sunscreen
and to wear protective clothing than to risk overexposure, which
can lead to skin damage.
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What about skin cancer?
Some people get it. Who gets it is more a function
of diet and genetics than adult sun tanning behavior. There is
good evidence that childhood sunburns may increase the risk of
developing skin cancer in later life.
Many doctors want us to think that recent growth
in skin cancer rates are due to increased use of sun tanning salons.
Dr. Fred Urbach - a world-class photo biologist - points out,
however, that cancer rates per thousand of population have been
increasing at the same very steady if exponential rate for the
last 50 years. This seems to indicate that the sun tanning salon
has very little to do with skin cancer rates. If sun tanning salons
were as bad as some doctors would have you believe, then surely
the numbers would show a stronger correlation.
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Why do some doctors say
tanning salons are dangerous?
The most obvious reason is that some doctors are
informed by old, and badly done studies, that rely on hearsay,
rather than scientific methods. Other studies were done on hairless,
nocturnal creatures that have never developed the ability to regulate
the biological action of UV by producing a suntan. The results
of these studies were then presented as predictive models for
the human skin. This is not good science.
Another reason may be that doctors were once able
to charge $60.00 per visit for UV LIGHT TREATMENTS. The availability
of UV at Sun tanning Salons for "Self-Treatment" at
an average cost of $6.00 per session has reduced medical revenue,
most severely at the average dermatology office. Interesting that
the dermatologist is often our loudest critic.
If you fear the sun, then many doctors will make
more money. You will visit their offices more often to have little
bumps looked at. You will buy sunscreens from companies that doctors
have invested in. And you may suffer from osteoporosis, breast
cancer, and other diseases resulting from Vitamin D deficiency.
Why indeed? Many doctors are part of the "SUNSCARE"
industry, including sunscreen makers and chemical companies who
make a lot of money if you fear the sun. Since fewer and less
powerful people make money when you enjoy the sun, our voice is
not as easily heard. But we are out here.
We believe in the moderate use of UV Rays for
health and psychological reasons as well as for cosmetic reasons.
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Do I really have to wear
those goggles?
Yes! UV rays from sun tanning beds and booths
if proper eye protection is not worn may damage all your cornea,
lens, and retina. If you tan without eye protection, and nothing
"bad" happens right away, then you may think you are
not hurting yourself. Many people do not experience acute injuries
from UVA rays. They don't know that they are hurting themselves
a tiny bit at a time. These chronic injuries accumulate over your
lifetime. UVA rays will slowly cause you to lose your night vision
and color vision. These losses are usually noticed before a change
in visual acuity. Your eyes are worth it. Wear the goggles.
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Do I have to take my
contact lenses out when I use a sun bed or booth?
Always wear proper sunlamp goggles. Many people
have no trouble whatsoever when leaving their contact lenses in
while sun tanning in a sun bed or booth. Heat from the sunlamp
product may cause dryness and mild to moderate discomfort for
some contact lens wearers. Experiences vary widely. It certainly
is safe from the UV perspective. There is not really any appreciable
UV penetrating the sunlamp goggle. Thus, here is no risk of the
eye or contact lens being damaged by UV rays. Try tanning with
your contact lenses in. If you find this uncomfortable, then take
them out before tanning next time.
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Can I catch a disease
from a sun tanning booth or bed?
Not if the salon follows good hygiene practices.
Ask what they use on the bed or booth between customers. Ask them
to show you the bottle. The label should say "DISINFECTANT"
or at least "SANITIZER". The best disinfectant products
are also "FUNGICIDES" and "VIRUCIDES" to control
ringworm, foot fungus, and viral diseases. If your salon will
not show you what they use, then we suggest you find a new salon.
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