Frequently Asked Questions:
             Information Provided by the International Smart Tan Network

Don’t get burned by the competition!  It is a misconception that you need to burn before you can develop a base tan!  Our beds have a very low percentage of UVB (the ray which causes the reddening of the skin) therefore you will gradually build a base tan, without burning.

Did you ever wonder why your back has a stripe down the middle?  Your salon is changing every other bulb to cut costs, also known as “rotating” bulbs.  Get the most for your money from a reliable salon.

We change our bulbs! All Tanning units have a manufacturer time limit sticker.  The FDA advises that this sticker should never be removed from the tanning unit.  Sun Quest will not put you in a bed for longer than the manufactures maximum time.  If you are tanning over the maximum time allowed, your current salon doesn’t change their bulbs!  The longer you need to be in a unit (over the maximum allowed time) means they must compensate for weak bulbs.  Example: if the local competitor is tanning you in an Orbit for 20-30 minutes, when it is ONLY a 12 minute bed.)

Is indoor tanning smarter than tanning outdoors?  Absolutely!  When tanning indoors you receive a concentrated, controlled dosage of ultraviolet light. When tanning outdoors it is impossible to control many outdoor variables such as, time of day, location, weather conditions, and altitude.  When tanning outdoors your body is also exposed to UVC levels that penetrate the earth’s ozone layer, which makes you more likely to develop sunburn.

Does tanning cause skin cancer?  There has been no research that shows a causative link between moderate sun exposure and skin cancer.  Diet, heredity and repeated sunburn are the biggest risk factors for non-lethal forms of skin cancer. 

“Is it true that a woman burned her internal organs from tanning too much?”  This is physically impossible!  Ultraviolet light (outdoor or indoor) does not penetrate past your skin.  This story started back in the early 1980’s when many people where not educated on the tanning process and believed that tanning beds were similar to microwaves.  Most people are now educated on the tanning process and know this “urban legend” is not true.

How long does it take to develop a base tan? Most people notice color after their first session, but this also depends on your skin type.  The use of an indoor tanning lotion will quickly intensify your tan.  Most people can develop a dark base tan in 5 to 8 sessions.

How often should I tan? When you first start to build your base tan you should wait at least 48 hours between sessions.  It takes as long as 24 hours for pigmentation and any skin reddening to become visible. Therefore, tanning every day is not necessary.   Once you achieve your base tan from a high pressure (Omega or Sunboard), you only need to tan once every 7-14 days (depending on your skin type) to maintain your tan. You will need to tan less, but have a darker, longer lasting tan! 

Do I need to wear protective eyewear when I tan indoors?  Yes, it is extremely import to protect your eyes from the UV light.  Your eyelids do not provide adequate protection from UV light.  Although, there may be no immediate symptoms, damage may be occurring to your eyes that can lead to vision problems.

Did you know there are many benefits of Ultraviolet Light: 

• Boosts the Immune System   
• Kills Bacteria on the skin which leads to Acne
• The Only Source of Vitamin D3
• Treats Psoriasis, Skin Disorders & Joint Pain
• Therapeutic and Wonderful for Relaxation
• Treats SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder)
• Positive effect of UV light on decreasing the incidence of Breast & Colon cancer
• Decreased risk of Osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease & certain Immunological disorders.

The New York Times July 13, 2004
Good Day, Sunshine: Why They Tan
By Eric Nagourney

This time of year dermatologists are wringing their pale, smooth hands in dismay and frustration:
Why don't people listen to the warnings about the risks of sunlight?
Vanity and the recklessness of the young usually get the blame.
But maybe there's more to the urge to bake than looks and youthful abandon.
A small, provocative study seems to say so.
It links the penetration of ultraviolet rays to the release of pleasure-inducing endorphins in the brain.
Writing in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology,
a group of researchers reported that they sought out volunteers who regularly went to tanning salons
and invited them to lounge in tanning beds at no charge over a period of six weeks.
The 14 volunteers - 13 women and a man - came in twice a week and were directed to one of two seemingly identical tanning beds.
But one of the beds was equipped with a UV filter and the other wasn't.
When the volunteers were given mood assessments afterwards,
those who had not been shielded from the ultraviolet light consistently seemed more content and more relaxed.
And when the group was given the opportunity to come in on a third day and choose one bed or the other,
11 of the 12 people headed straight for the bed that provided ultraviolet light.
The researchers liken that response to the persistence of other risky behaviors, like smoking and drug use.
They note that tanning salons are increasingly popular - their use tripled from 1986 to 1996 -
and point to a survey of college-age tanning-bed users who often said that their love of sunbathing was enhanced by the sense of well-being it produced.The lead author of the study, Dr. Steven R. Feldman, professor of dermatology, pathology and public health sciences at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
in Winston-Salem, N.C., said: "They''re lying out on their backs and they're saying, 'Ah, this feels so good.' These people are getting their little hit of UV."

Understanding Vitamin D Cholecalciferol

     The high rate of natural production of vitamin D3 cholecalciferol in the skin is the single most important fact every person should know about vitamin D because it has such profound implications for the natural human condition.
       Vitamin D is a steroid hormone precursor that has recently been found to play a role in a wide variety of diseases. Current research  indicates vitamin D deficiency plays a role in causing seventeen varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension,  autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth  defects, and periodontal disease.
       This does not mean that vitamin D deficiency is the only cause of these diseases, or that you will not get them if you take vitamin D.   What it does mean is that vitamin D, and the many ways in which it affects a person's health, can no longer be overlooked by the health care industry nor by individuals striving to achieve and maintain a greater state of health.

DR. CANNELL INTERVIEW CBN NEWS
What's the Real Story on Vitamin D? By Gailon Totheroh - CBN News: The list of benefits is so long because vitamin D actually regulates cells, systems, and organs throughout the body.
CANCER SOCIETY'S ANTI-SUN ADS DECRIED AS DECEPTIVE
The hypothesis that moderate sun exposure curbs cancer risks rests on abundant evidence that vitamin D probably ranks among the most powerful anti-cancer factors in the human body... Vital Choices Newsletter

VITAMIN D AND AUTISM
Now a single theory answers the many unanswered questions surrounding autism.  A theory that implies a simple prevention and raises the possibility of treatment. It's called the Vitamin D Theory of Autism-
Read about it in our new section, Autism and Vitamin D.

STUDY SHINES MORE LIGHT ON BENEFIT OF VITAMIN D IN FIGHTING CANCER
600,000 cases a year of breast and colorectal cancer could be prevented each year by adequate intake of vitamin D, according to Cedric F. Garland DrPH, cancer prevention specialist and vitamin D expert.~ UCSD Medical Center

Vitamin D, Sunshine, and Your Health

• If you totally avoid the sun, recent research indicates you need about 4,000 units of vitamin D a day. Which  means you can't get enough vitamin D from milk (unless you drink 40 glasses a day) or from a multivitamin. (unless you take about 10 tablets a day), neither of which is recommended.
• Most of us make about 20,000 units of vitamin D after about 20 minutes of summer sun. This is about 100 times more vitamin D than the government says you need every day.
• The only way to be sure you have adequate levels of vitamin D in your blood is to regularly go into the sun, use a sun bed (avoiding sunburn), or have your physician administer a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Optimal  levels are around 50 ng/mL (125 nM/L)
• If you don't get vitamin D the way Mother Nature intended, from sunshine, you need to take supplemental vitamin D3 cholecalciferol. Since most of us get a lot more vitamin D from sunshine than we realize, most  of us need about 2,000 units a day extra.

Please check for this month's SPECIALS!