ETS Tanning Bed Blog

Whether you have your own personal tanning bed or you run a chain of tanning salons, one of your primary concerns is going to be the cleanliness of your machine(s). A clean tanning bed is more than just germ free, it'll last longer too.

When an indoor tanning bed gets dirty, that grime can become fungus. Not only can this fungus spread to other users, it can affect the operation and functionality of the bed. Good tanning bed cleaners won't just keep your beds disinfected, they'll improve their tanning power by as much as 20-40%.

When To Use Tanning Bed Cleaners

Salon staff should clean tanning bed acrylics after every use. The outside of the beds and handles should also be sanitized. Remember, users touch more than just the acrylics.

In addition to regular cleaning after every use, a commercial tanning bed should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out at least once a week . This will help maintain the appearance of the unit and its performance.

Popular Tanning Bed Cleaners

Ultra-Clean Tanning Bed Cleaner: Ultra-Clean comes in citrus and unscented. To avoid overwhelming your users with a citrusy scent, we recommend the unscented version. It's EPA registered in all states and acts as a cleaner, polisher, deodorizer and sanitizer.

Australian Gold Tanning Bed Cleaner: Australian Gold's tanning bed cleaner is a one-step cleaner with no fuss and no mess. There's no leftover film and no need to rinse. It's a disinfectant with a neutral pH AND it acts as a sanitizer, deodorizer, virucide and fungicide. This is one of the best cleaners out there.

Lucasol Tanning Bed Cleaner: Lucasol is another one-step brand of deodorizing disinfectant. It's hospital-grade and free from any dyes or scents.

Novus Tanning Bed Cleaner: This disinfectant is part sanitizer and part polish. It leaves behind a protective sheen that repels dust and minimizes static. Some users complain that the film is too obvious and a tad sticky. I'd recommend trying a sample before you invest in a full order of this product.

How Clean Are Your Indoor Tanning Beds?

You may require your staff to clean them after every use, but just how clean are your tanning beds? Are they meeting the highest standards for cleanliness? Are you changing your acrylics regularly based on usage?

Acrylics gradually degrade and limit the amount of UV light that will pass through to the tanner! Be sure to check with your manufacturer as to the expected life of your acrylics so you know when to change them.

Remember, if you're noticing that the tanning beds in your tanning salons maybe aren't up to the highest standards, your customers are definitely noticing. Require your staff to not only clean the beds after every use, but to always do a double check before sending a client into a room.
 

It's a common myth by the tanning nay-sayers that the government has said tanning is bad.

The truth is indoor tanning is rigorously monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the organization responsible for monitoring food and drug safety, and the Federal Trade Commission, the organization responsible for consumer protection and responsible business practices. The FDA makes sure our equipment is safe, and the FTC makes sure we can back up our claims, and don't make false promises.

In 2007, President George W. Bush signed the Tanning Accountability and Notification Act (TAN), which requires the FDA to reevaluate warning labels on tanning beds, and to find ways of educating consumers about responsible use of tanning beds.

While common misconceptions about indoor tanning abound, the truth is that medical experts have been finding alarming links between vitamin D deficiencies and all sorts of health problems: breast cancer, colon cancer, Alzheimer's disease, teen obesity, just to name a few.

At the end of 2008, the FDA released its findings regarding the the text and placement of warning labels on tanning beds. They said there was sufficient information on the labels that were communicated to the public:

Based on its analysis of the results of the consumer study required by section 230 of FDAAA, FDA has determined that there are warnings that are capable of adequately communicating the risks of indoor tanning, and that a modified warning statement label may more effectively convey these risks than the current labeling requirements. FDA has also determined that changes to the positioning requirements for the warning statement label may communicate such risks more effectively.

The importance of vitamin D for a healthy body is well known, but health experts have been in the news raising a hue and cry about a vitamin D deficiency crisis in this country .

Apparently we're just not getting enough vitamin D in our bodies, and many people are wondering if the warnings of staying out of the sun and tanning booths are starting to swing this health pendulum too far the other way.

One of the most vital roles of vitamin D is to boost the absorption of calcium into the bones. Vitamin D also helps to keep teeth and gums healthy, especially in older adults.

The latest vitamin D study comes to us through the combined efforts of the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Michigan. They have shown that vitamin D may also help maintain cognitive skills. While not comprehensive, the study was based on information collected from almost 2,000 adults aged 65 and over who participated in a large health survey in England. The data shows that as vitamin D levels decreased, cognitive impairment increased.

Of the cognitive impairment diseases, Alzheimer's is the most common form. It is an incurable, degenerative and terminal disease that was first discovered by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer in 1906. It is usually found in people 65 and older, although it can sometimes occur earlier.

According to the study, a contributing factor to injuries in Alzheimer's patients could be a lack of vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for the strength and development of bones, but since many Alzheimer's patients are homebound or lacking mobility, they are frequently lacking sunlight.

People with Alzheimer's also have an increased risk of hip and other bone fractures as a result. As Alzheimer's disease is more prevalent in older populations, the ability of skin to convert vitamin D to its active form decreases with age, contributing to increased risk. One study of women with Alzheimer's done by the Medical College of Wisconsin found that decreased bone mineral density was associated with a low intake of vitamin D and inadequate sunlight exposure.

There was also evidence linking a lack of vitamin D to Parkinson's Disease, another disease associated with the aged, but there is still much study and testing to do to determine whether low vitamin D levels are linked to cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer's.

Older adults should boost their vitamin D intake to help reduce chronic pain and strengthen their teeth and bones; younger adults should also boost their vitamin D intake to help reduce the risk of weakened bones, bone fractures, cognitive impairment, and even some forms of cancer.

Experts recommend that we get about 15 minutes of sun per day, or barring that, spending time in an indoor tanning bed.

All of this raises the question of whether tanning beds can offer the same health benefits as sunshine. The best source of Vitamin D is the sun, however tanning beds provide a good source of Vitamin D. Tanning beds are installed with bulbs that emit mostly UVA (long-wave) rays, said to be less harmful than UVB (short-wave) rays. Thus, a tanning bed gives customers the same emission as the sun, but at a more controlled level and shorter time.

Tanning beds, while not as powerful nor more popular than sunlight, still provides beneficial results in a safer environment, especially when the weather is too cold to be out in the sun.

In the tanning bed business, there has been almost nothing as polarizing, nothing getting as much news attention, or generating as much controversy, as vitamin D. Some experts say we shouldn't be out in the sun. But other medical experts are now saying a vitamin D deficiency is being linked to teenage obesity, increased chronic pain, seasonal affective disorder, breast cancer, and many other ailments.

We're told that a vitamin D deficiency could result in rickets and other disorders that could impair proper growth and development and lead to liver or kidney disorders.

According to a recent MSNBC article, the vitamin D craze has been building over the last few years, with low levels of the nutrient being blamed as a source of many of our ills . Depression and chronic pain are said to be diminished with vitamin D. Vitamin D can also help prevent many diseases such as kidney disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon and breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, or even the common cold.

The best source for vitamin D is adequate sunshine or UV-B rays . But other sources like fish (tuna and sardines), milk, and egg yolks are enriched with vitamin D. However not everyone enjoys or eats these products. Therefore, sunshine, which doesn't have a taste, is the way most people get their vitamin D requirement.

Unfortunately for many people, getting adequate doses of sunshine is difficult, especially when they work indoors throughout the day or spend four or five months indoors because of cold weather. For several, an alternative way of getting their vitamin D fix is through indoor tanning, which can be beneficial. An advantage indoor tanners have is access to control and comfort, something that can't be done outdoors where we're at the mercy of the elements and other factors. Since indoor tanning has become more popular, national guidelines and regulations have been put in place by the Federal government.

The MSNBC article also discusses vitamin D and indoor tanning, which, like vitamin D, has had a polarizing effect on researchers, doctors and scientists to its actual benefit or harm. MSNBC noted the news that Ultraviolet light was a source of vitamin D was good to the indoor tanning industry, long maligned by doctors who have linked it to the rising rates of melanoma skin cancer.

"UV is a proven carcinogen," said Dr. Barbara Gilchrest, chair-emeritus of the department of dermatology at Boston University Medical School. "The wavelengths of light that damage DNA and cause cancers are exactly the same ones that produce vitamin D in the skin."

Still, others are skeptical that UV light alone is the cause, especially when emitted from a tanning bed.

The Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) launched an aggressive nationwide campaign encouraging the public to rethink sun-tanning and criticizing dermatologists, doctors and the sunscreen and cosmetics industries for scaring people.

It's a never-ending argument. The fact remains that both indoor and outdoor tanning can be beneficial as long as tanners take care while tanning. But unlike outdoor tanning, indoor tanning can be done any time of day or year, can save time, and be done in short, controlled blocks of time.

There's a strong statistical link between Vitamin D deficiencies and breast cancer, says William B. Grant, Ph.D., in his March 2004 essay. The essay was featured on the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center website .

Grant's research showed that more than 200,000 women across the United States get breast cancer yearly with diet and lifestyle being the two determining risk factors. Proper diet and exercise can help reduce the risk of breast cancer, however a key benefit is getting plenty of vitamin D. Grant's analysis says that the breast cancer risk could be cut in half by sufficient vitamin D levels.

He states that dietary sources of vitamin D are not adequate to be beneficial and instead people should get their source of vitamin D from the sun, supplements, or from artificial UVB exposure. Proper exposure to the sun provides the body with the vitamin D it needs to help prevent not only breast cancer, but other cancers, heart disease, stroke and depression. Make no mistake, the best way to get vitamin D is through the sun. Unfortunately, time constraints and weather, especially the cold, dark winter months prevent many people from taking advantage of the healthy benefits of the sun. When sunshine is at a minimum, a trip to the tanning salon is a tempting opportunity for many.

The question is can a tanning bed offer the same benefits as the sun and could it be a factor in the reduction of breast cancer?

Some researchers say the best way to get benefits is to have a moderate exposure to sunlight. That could be no more than five to 10 minutes on your body. According to research by Michael Holick, who has done years of research on the subject of vitamin D, exposure to tanning beds increased pre-vitamin D. Continued exposure led to even more increases and thus could lead to a reduction in breast cancer.

Although we get vitamin D from the sun and its rays, overexposure could prove damaging so we have to use caution and limit our exposure to the sun. Plus, with our busy schedules and cold weather, it's not always possible to get outside. That's where tanning beds can be helpful. Studies have shown that moderate exposure to UV, including UV from indoor tanning beds, may produce vitamin D.

Grant does state that insufficient evidence exists to link sunbed use to risk of melanoma for other than those with skin phenotype I. It is accurate to say that indoor sunbeds provide an alternative way for individuals to obtain ultraviolet exposure in a responsible and controlled fashion if spending time outdoors in the sun isn't possible or convenient.

The big news this week was the link between vitamin D deficiency and obesity in teenagers.

Obesity, especially teen obesity has had numerous effects on the physical and emotional health [of what, whom?]. Poor dietary habits, a lack of exercise and smoking have all contributed to obesity. However, new findings suggest that a lack of vitamin D can also contribute to adolescent and teen obesity.

In addition, low levels of vitamin D can lead to high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which compound the health issues.

A new study by Jared Reis of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said that teens in the study with the lowest vitamin D levels were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure and high blood sugar. The teens were also four times more likely to have metabolic syndrome, defined as having three or more conditions that contribute to heart disease and diabetes - including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, big waists, and high cholesterol.

Admittedly, more research will be needed to factor whether vitamin D is really behind the health problems and whether getting more would make a difference.

In addition, minorities were also more likely to be vitamin-D deficient, however the study didn't determine if they were more like to suffer from the normal vitamin D deficient conditions.

To further boost the findings of the Johns Hopkins study, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia studied more than 650 teenagers from 14 to 19. They found that teens reporting a higher intake of vitamin D had lower body fat and lower amounts of abdominal fat. Once again, it showed that minority teens were getting insufficient vitamin D intake.

Black females had the lowest vitamin D intake and also had higher percentages of body fat and abdominal fat, while black males reported the lowest percentages of body fat and visceral fat. White males, were shown to be getting the recommended minimum amount of vitamin D.

While we're still waiting to see whether the vitamin D deficiency is a cause-and-effect relationship, we have maintained all along that vitamin D is an important part of any healthy lifestyle.  Although we get vitamin D from the sun and its rays, overexposure could prove damaging so we have to use caution and limit our exposure to the sun. Plus, with our busy schedules and cold weather, it's not always possible to get outside. That's where tanning beds can be helpful. Research has shown that people who use indoor tanning equipment that emits UVB – which most equipment does – also produce Vitamin D. Studies have also shown that indoor tanning clients have higher Vitamin D blood levels than non-tanners according to Tanningtruth.com.

 
Since tanning beds are a major investment, it's important that tanning salon owners only use certified technicians to repair and maintain their tanning beds. That's because the technician is a professional who has gone through intensive training, and has the experience and proper knowledge to install, repair and check your tanning beds.

We only allow certified technicians to work on our beds, and operate a certified service for training these techs. This is for potential and current service technicians, and for those who need to keep up with our three levels of certification.

A new part of our training is that we hold it for six months of the year, running one week at a time. This allows for more chances to train technicians at all three levels.

Level 3 Techs get preferential scheduling

Working at Level 3 is vital. Our Level 3 techs get preferential scheduling and they can potentially get a discount on service parts. Level 3 technicians can be assured of getting additional work over the Level 2 and Level 1 techs, because they have received the extra training to handle more complicated problems. On non-warranty work, we tell the customer about the technician and their level of training.

Our new schedule change helps benefit all the technicians to achieve Level 3 much more easily. This cuts down on the 2 - 3 day classes, which reduces travel time, the number of trips, and lets the techs achieve Level 3 in one week, not three half-weeks. This makes it easier on everyone who had to take time off of their jobs, some possibly more than once a year to attend our certification classes.

And we've been receiving a great response on our Web site with as many as two to three service calls a day throughout the country. We're hoping to target one technician with a few backups in a certain area. We're always trying to target certain areas where we can expedite the work, but are finding the need for techs anywhere in the United States.