ETS Tanning Bed Blog

Proposed law would regulate teens' right to tan more rigidly than their right to marry, drive a car, and join the military

(Reprinted from the Indoor Tanning Association press release )
WASHINGTON, May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) denounced House Bill 173, which would require Ohioans under the age of 18 to get a prescription from a doctor before using a sun-bed. Inexplicably, the bill also applies to spray tanning .

John Overstreet, executive director of the ITA issued the following statement regarding the bill:

"It is inconsistent and illogical for a teen in Ohio to be forced to have a prescription from a doctor before they could use a tanning bed.

At 17 an Ohio teen can serve and die for his or her country by joining the military. At 16 an Ohio teen is entrusted with the ability to operate a motor vehicle entirely unsupervised by a doctor or parent. 16- and 17-year-olds in the state can even get married as long as a parent consents.

It defies common sense that an Ohio parent could send their son or daughter off to war, drive the dangerous Ohio highways, or navigate the murky emotional waters of marriage -- but has to get a doctor's note before they can tan.

It is already standard practice to get written parental consent before a teen can use a tanning bed. A parent can decide whether or not it's ok for their teen to tan. Not the Ohio legislature."

Overstreet also noted that tanning salons in Ohio are already among the most highly regulated in the country.

The Indoor Tanning Association represents thousands of indoor tanning manufacturers, distributors, facility owners and members from other support industries. The ITA promotes a responsible message about moderate tanning and sunburn prevention.

SOURCE Indoor Tanning Association

To learn more about legislation in your state, contact your local government or visit the Indoor Tanning Association website.

I've blogged about the teen tanning ban in Texas before. And in the last few weeks, the situation has only gotten worse.

On April 22nd, the revised version of House Bill 1310 was passed by the Texas House of Representatives, meaning it has now made its way to the Texas Senate. What began as a ban on anyone under the age of 18 was downgraded to age 16-and-a-half. But, a ban is still a ban and could seriously hurt tanning bed business owners. Luckily, the Indoor Tanning Association –– the trade association for tanning salon owners, and tanning bed manufacturers and distributors –– is doing something about it.

According to LookingFit.com, the ITA is urging all Texas business owners, supporters and employees to join the fight against this bill .

They've created a pre-formatted letter wizard for tanning bed business owners that will automatically address and create a letter to your Texas Senate representative and even a separate letter for consumers .

The Texas Senate wants to dictate what they deem acceptable for families, and take decision-making out of the hands of parents. Their actions could ultimately harm the livelihoods of many Texas small business owners, which is the last thing we need in this economy.

Over-regulation is a serious threat and one that could seriously hinder our industry. So, if you live in Texas or know anyone in Texas, I urge you to write a letter and encourage your friends to write letters speaking out against this ban.

To learn more about legislation in your state, contact your local government or visit the Indoor Tanning Association website .

In a recent study in the journal Pain Medicine, Mayo Clinic researchers have found a correlation between inadequate vitamin D levels and the amount of pain medication taken by patients with chronic pain .

They found chronic pain patients with inadequate levels of vitamin D were taking nearly twice as much medication as those with adequate vitamin D

Also, low vitamin D has been linked to chronic musculoskeletal pain, muscle weakness or fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatic disorders, osteoarthritis, hyperesthesia, migraine headaches, and other complaints. According to the Mayo Clinic study, a low-level of vitamin D can also result in mood disturbances of chronic fatigue syndrome and seasonal affective disorder.

Current evidence says that supplemental vitamin D can help to alleviate chronic pain and fatigue in many patients who weren't helped by other therapies. Vitamin D therapy is easy for patients to self-administer, is well tolerated, and is very economical. In short, vitamin D is very important in order to help reduce chronic pain, and too easy to not use it.

The reasons are pretty clear.

We've discussed again and again that if vitamin D is deficient in the body, then people will suffer things like rickets and fibromyalgia. And some researchers believe many syndromes, like chronic fatigue, are actually caused by a Vitamin D deficiency.

Some of the best, most effective ways to get UV-B rays is from sunlight or indoor tanning beds, as well as from foods rich in vitamin D. Tanning beds are especially helpful when we're in the grip of another cold winter with short days and no sun, or your busy schedule doesn't let you outside for longer than it takes to walk to your car. Indoor tanning is a fast and easy alternative to spending time outside.

Membership has its privileges.

Or so says the famous slogan. The question though is how to show the value of membership in your tanning salon to help you grow business and sales. And it's not as bad or difficult as it seems.

A tanning salon without members is like a Web site without visitors, a stadium without people, or a meatloaf without the meat: pointless. And having just a few dozen members, while nice, just won't do. To improve membership, you need to increase exposure, and do some work. It can be done without spending a lot of money on advertising or marketing. All it takes is some creativity and having a solid plan.

For the next three blog posts, we'll give you some ideas on increasing the value of your membership, including Getting Them to Join, Getting Them to Move Up, and Improving the Value of Salon Membership.

Getting Them to Join

Owning a tanning salon is no different than a country club, buying club, or movie theater. If you are going to give people a value, you need to offer them an incentive to join. Take some of your services and bundle a few of them. Sell this bundle to your customers as the membership so it becomes even more valuable.

For example, if you normally charge $7 for a single tanning session, and the customer only visits once a month, offer a membership of $20 per month for unlimited visits on Level 1 tanning beds. The client is now free to visit whenever they want. Not only are they getting an increased value for their membership (which comes in the savings after they visit that third time), they're going to keep coming back because they've paid for it. This gets them into the habit of coming, and continuing their membership, which increases cash flow. (Of course, this also means they're using more tanning lotion, which you'll also sell them.)

The benefit to you is that $20 per month will nearly triple your cash flow for that once-a-month tanner, and you'll turn a sometimes-tanner into a regular. The benefit to the customer is that they start seeing the extra benefits of tanning.

But don't just increase tanning frequency and call it a package. Create some more value. Add discounts on a couple items like a 10% discount on tanning lotion and teeth whitening. Give away a Free Friday upgrade per month to the next level bed, or a Free Friday pass for friends and family.

Now, instead of just getting extra tans, they're getting additional value, and the membership makes a lot more sense. The customer sees he or she will get all kinds of great benefits and will sign up to be a member, because for just three times their original amount ($7), they're getting more than three times the value.

Next time, we'll talk about how to move members up from Level 1 to Level 2 or Level 3 by increasing the value of each membership level.

ETS Tan is now the exclusive distributor of the HydroMassage, an affordable, total-body massage system found at an indoor tanning salon or fitness club near you. More of the nation's indoor tanning salons are adding the HydroMassage to their lineup to meet growing demands for affordable health and beauty treatments. (PRNewsFoto/ETS Tan)

INDIANAPOLIS, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- A new alliance between the world's largest indoor tanning bed manufacturer and the leading manufacturer of unattended massage beds is focused on helping the health and beauty industry provide a new and affordable service to customers.

JTL Enterprises manufactures the HydroMassage, a massage system that features an open design and traveling jet system that delivers a full-body massage in a 10-minute session. Users can remain fully clothed, adjust the bed's pressure ranges and utilize a touch screen to watch videos or listen to music during their massage.

"One session on the HydroMassage provides a surprisingly relaxing massage," said HydroMassage CEO David Quick. "Chiropractors and health care professionals are seeing an increase in patients for HydroMassage sessions. More fitness centers and health clubs now offer the HydroMassage because their customers want a relaxing massage after their workout."

Quick also said more of the nation's indoor tanning salons are adding the product to meet a growing demand.

To help health and beauty providers provide the popular massage system to their customers, ETS Tan is now the exclusive distributor of the HydroMassage in the U.S.

"Today's fitness centers are more than free weights and treadmills. Tanning salons are much more than a collection of tanning beds under one roof," said ETS Tan CEO Bill Pipp. "These facilities are destinations where everyday people go to improve and maintain their health and appearance and be pampered without spending a lot of money. Our partnership with HydroMassage is focused on helping health- and beauty-focused businesses offer this revolutionary and effective massage system to the masses."

For tanning salons, Pipp said, adding such products as the HydroMassage can prove especially lucrative. "Tanning is a seasonal business. Salon owners are adding more spa services like massage to eliminate their off season, drive year-round business and generate additional revenue," he said.

Planet Beach salon owner Julie Spencer offers the HydroMassage at her Wesley Chapel, Fla., salon at $30 for a 15-minute session. "Everyone loves it," she said. "One customer came in with a sore neck and back. After 15 minutes on the HydroMassage, she felt much better. Customers feel pampered when they use the HydroMassage."

You can find the original press release here.

    Duane Brodt
    Coles Marketing Communications
    (317) 571-0051

Available Topic Expert(s): Find information for the listed expert(s) here.

First Texas, now Arkansas.

Arkansas, like Texas, is one of more than a dozen states considering such bills. Texas also has bills that go a step further and require a doctor's note.

Currently, Texas is seeking approval on House Bill (HB) 1310, which restricts teens younger than 18 from using indoor tanning equipment.

While the politicians of Texas are pondering that law, Arkansas lawmakers are also working to restrict teen tanning. Governor Mike Beebe says he plans to sign a bill requiring salon owners to get waivers signed by parents for clients under 18.

Representative Bruce Maloch sponsored Arkansas' tanning bill, he says, as a way to raise awareness about the possible harmful affects.

For now Arkansas teens can walk into any salon and tan, provided they have their parents sign a waver before getting into a tanning bed.

The waiver will have warnings about the possible dangers of repeated exposure to indoor tanning. And Arkansas lawmakers are trying to raise awareness about tanning safety.

The bill, HB1920 is still waiting on Governor Beebe's signature. The bill applies to tanning salons, apartments and gyms any businesses offering the service. There is no penalty or enforcement for the requirement.

And like the bill in Texas, this bill is getting a strong reaction from both sides – the ones trying to enforce the law and the ones who oppose it: the teens and, not surprisingly, the tanning salon owners, who have said they alert all teens of the potential dangers of overexposure.

Persuading teens to stop tanning could be a hard sell as many are concerned about physical appearances at that age. Another factor is a teenager's quest for independence at that age. A law like this will take away that freedom, something teens value as they assert themselves in the world.

Texas legislators seem to be ignoring the fact that they're already well-known for outdoor tanning on their beaches. They're ignoring the most popular tanning method in favor of curtailing the business practices of local business owners.

Other states considering similar measures include Florida and Hawaii, two other very popular outdoor tanning locales.

To learn more about legislation in your state, contact your local government or visit the Indoor Tanning Association Web site .

Salon owners, are you educating your customers on the importance of a good moisturizer as a part of their tanning regimen?

Like tanning lotion, moisturizing lotion is an important part of the indoor tanning process.

It's important because the UV lights can dry out your skin. Moisturizing preserves and extends tanning results, enhances the appearance of an existing tan, and moisturizes the skin so it looks and feels better. Moisturizing makes the skin soft, smooth, healthier-looking, helps prevent peeling and flaking, and won't clog pores.

Even after the tanning bed shuts off, the tanning process is still going on. That means it's vital your customers keep their skin moisturized during and after this process. A good moisturizing lotion like Australian Gold's Moisture Lock Tan Extender .

Finally, it's easier to tan moist skin. That's because dry skin, as it turns white from the dryness, will actually reflect some of the UV rays. On the other hand, moist skin will absorb those rays, making them tan easier.

Customers should use moisturizing lotion to get that better tan and to make it last longer. Skin dries out and exfoliates and the more you moisturize the healthier your skin becomes and you don't lose your tan.

For salon owners, the message to relate to your customers is to moisturize the skin one way or another to help protect the skin and to enhance the tan. It's good to ask your customer how important their skin is and once they answer, then you can make the recommendations.

This also becomes an extra revenue stream for you, because you'll recommend your products, which will benefit them.

By having a customer talk to a professional, the tanning pro can recommend the best type of moisturizer to use. There are several, varying lines and they represent different prices and ingredients.