How does indoor tanning work?

Indoor tanning is accomplished with a variety of means, from bed tanning to spray-on tanners. Professional tanning equipment limits the amount of UVB that you are exposed to, thus producing a smarter experience than the unregulated UVB of sunshine. Regarding UVA-only beds... There is a need for some UVB exposure to stimulate the melanin production slightly. Not in the extreme amounts you receive in a conventional cheap bed or even natural sunlight. Those who use standard tanning beds may experience pressure marks from lying on that hard acrylic. That doesn't happen in a High Pressure bed because you flip over for each side. You don't get the pressure marks on your shoulder blades and buttocks because you are not tanned from underneath.

Tan Factory offers 5 different levels of UV beds, thus allowing our customers to achieve results safely under the guidance of a professional expert trained in the appropriate usages and products for each specific skin type. Due to the fact that we have so many options at our disposal for your use, we can make accurate product recommendations that will not only achieve better results, but additionally will limit the negative side effects associated with standard tanning

What types of indoor tanning are there?

What is a "High Pressure" bed anyway? High pressure tanning use quartz lamps that vary in length, usually tanning the body from above while the tanner rests comfortably on a contoured mattress. Approximately 12 minutes after beginning the session, the tanner flips over to tan the rest of his/her body for the remaining 12 minutes. The term "high pressure" comes from the manufacturing process of the bed, which maintains the gasses inside the quartz lamp at above atmospheric pressure, while the gasses in the tanning tubes of conventional tanning beds are below atmospheric pressure. Our high pressure tanning beds have an ultra-violet filtering system, which blocks the UVB rays almost entirely. Our more advanced systems even remove the higher frequencies of the UVA rays, leaving only what is the safest, most effective part of the spectrum. This provides a deep, dark & long lasting tan without a high risk of burning. A second filtering system removes a large percentage of the infrared spectrum for a 'cooler' tan, and the bright white light is even toned down for a more relaxing and comforting environment. The types of bulbs in conventional beds emit both the UVA (aging, tanning) & UVB (burning) rays. In these beds you are required to develop a base tan over a matter of approximately 4 weeks, at 3 to 5 times weekly for up to 30 minutes at a time (but more likely up to 20 min). Thereafter 2-3 times weekly to maintain the tan in the conventional beds. With UVA only beds, you need only tan 3 to 5 times at moderate exposure within 10 to 14 days to develop a tan and then only 2 to 3 sessions a month to maintain that tan. All forms of UV light can be damaging and prolonged exposure can age your skin and increase your chance of skin damage. But, if you're going to tan -- then tan responsibly! Tan moderately and SUPPLEMENT with a sunless tanner that our customer service representatives recommend.

How does sunless or Mystic tanning work?

In the "Sunless" or "Mystic" types of tanning, we consider the 2 main layers of the skin, the epidermis on the surface and dermis one layer below that. All types of tanning, whether it is UV based or sunless takes place in the epidermis layer. The epidermis is made up of a number of layers, the deepest layer in the epidermis is the stratum basale (basal layer) and is affected during UV tanning. The stratum corneum (horny layer) is the outermost layer of the epidermis and is targeted by most sunless tanning products on the market today. The American Academy of Dermatology states that the most effective sunless products available have Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient. DHA is a colourless sugar extract that interacts with the dead cells located in the stratum corneum of the epidermis. As the sugar extract interacts with the dead skin cells, a colour change occurs. DHA is a safe and natural sugar based product that works in harmony with the amino acids on the outer layer of the skin. The natural reaction between the DHA products and the skin results in creating the desired effect of a natural, bronzed, tanned appearance without the damage caused by tanning from UV rays. DHA has been an active ingredient in tanning lotions for over 50 years. The ingrediants are simply applied to the body as a spray.

How often should I tan?

Your body naturally exfoliates its outer layer of skin about every 28 days. As a natural response to UVB rays' harmful effects our body is forced to exfoliate every 5-10 days. This is why you must tan so frequently in conventional beds. With UVA only beds (only meaning the majority of UVB rays are filtered out with the use of Cobalt lenses) you need to tan less frequently. With this in mind, it is obvious that your body can maintain its normal exfoliation rate of 28 days without the excessive UVB exposure. One session in a UVA only bed has the tanning equivalent of approximately 5 to 8 sessions in a conventional tanning bed. The main rule to follow is to get the advice of one of our professional customer service representatives through our skin analysis. We will put together a safe and healthy plan to achieve your desired results that is based upon your personal skin type.