FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about tanning (for more information, visit www.HollywoodTansAtlanta.com):
Q. How long should my first tanning session be?
It depends on your individual skin type and the level of equipment. Our sales associates will evaluate your skin type to determine the recommended time for your first session, as well as the equipment that will best suit you.
Q. Do I have to wear eyewear? Why can't I just close my eyes?
Yes you must wear federally approved eye wear. Besides the fact that it's required by law, it's just common sense. Your eyes are sensitive to UV light and should not be exposed while tanning. A tan is created by UV light penetrating the upper layers of the skin... and the skin on your eyelids is the thinnest on your body, providing little protection against the light.
Q. Do indoor tanning lotions really work?
Yes! High quality tanning lotions stimulate melanin's rise to the surface of your skin. As melanin encounters UV light, it turns brown. The more melanin that reaches the skin's surface the deeper and darker the tan. A quality indoor tanning lotion promotes the retention of moisture, thereby keeping your skin smooth and supple while minimizing flaking.
You have total privacy while you tan, so you are welcome to tan wearing (or not wearing) whatever you please to get the results you desire. But remember that the parts of your body that have previously been exposed to the sun can tolerate more UV exposure. You should expose the areas of your body that have not been exposed to UV light as gradually as possible.
Q. Does all tanning equipment tan the same?
Absolutely not. The better the tanning booth, the better your tan. At Hollywood Tans, we believe there is a direct relationship between the amount of UVB a bed or booth emits and the quality of the tan. Many "mom and pop" salons out there feature beds that emit as high as 75% UVB rays! Hollywood Tans features no booth that emits any higher than 8% UVB. There is a GREAT disparity in quality of tans when using "high end" equipment compared with "low-end" or "entry level" equipment (used by many low budget salons). With high quality equipment your tan will be brown, not red, and it will be deeper, darker and richer. It will also last longer. Remember, the main reason you go to a tanning salon is to get a quality tan. Before signing a membership contract or giving a salon your business, you should always thoroughly evaluate a salon's equipment to ensure you'll be getting the best results possible.
Q. Are there any benefits to Tanning?
Q. Why don't Hollywood Tans take reservations?
One of the benefits to our stand-up booths are how fast they are! Customers can get in and out of our salon in less than 10 minutes. Fit a tanning session into a lunch break or while running errands. Just finished at the gym and have a few minutes to spare before you need to worry about dinner? Stop on by and we'll get you in and out ASAP.
Q. What's the difference between a "tanning bed" and a Tanning Salon?
When a tanner speaks about their local "tanning bed", they're usually talking about a small "Mom & Pop" establishment, often with a low number of tanning units (anywhere from 6 - 10 tanning beds). Few of these businesses have stand-up units, and most of the lay-down beds they do have emit anywhere from 50 - 75% UVB rays (which drastically increases a tanner's chances of burning). Many of these salons are underfunded, and it's not uncommon for them to shut down without notice to their customers, often without giving refunds for prepaid tans.
Visiting a Hollywood Tans tanning salon is a completely different experience. We distinguish ourselves from "the local tanning bed" by featuring all stand-up units, which are faster, cleaner and contain lower UVB rays than most lay-down beds. Hollywood Tans salons are franchised businesses, with high national standards for equipment maintenance, cleanliness and customer service. Each of the Atlanta area Hollywood Tans tanning salons are locally owned and operated, with a manager or assistant manager on duty at least 6 days per week.
To call us a "tanning bed" is obviously a misnomer. We don't even have any beds! We pride ourselves on striking the word "bed" from our vocabulary, and proudly refer to each of our locations as a TANNING SALON.
Q. If a tan and sunburn are different, just what is a sunburn?
Sunburns occur when the skin is exposed to excessive amounts of UV light. The severity can vary from mild pink with only minor discomfort to severe "lobster-red" burns that blister. Sunburn results when the amount of exposure to the sun or other ultraviolet light source exceeds the ability of the body's protective pigment, melanin, to protect the skin. Sunburn is better prevented than treated. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes prior to exposure to the sun and re-apply every hour. Sunscreen is EXTREMELY important when you are outdoors. It is easier to prevent sunburn and maintain beautiful bronze color when tanning indoors rather than outdoors because indoor tanning regulates the amount of time and UV exposure you will receive.
Q. What are these white spots on my skin?
White spots, also known as tinea versicolor, is a superficial overgrowth of skin-surface yeast, or fungus called Pityrosporum Orbiculare. This overgrowth results in uneven skin color with occasional scaling. This naturally occurring yeast normally lives in the pores of everyone's skin and likes fat (lipophilic); therefore, it is most often present on areas that have more oil glands, such as the shoulders, back and chest. However, it also can appear on the arms, legs and groin and, in rare cases, on the face.
Basically, if the skin is oily enough, moist enough and warm enough, this fungus will grow on the surface of the skin and cause a noticeable rash. The spots may be light or reddish brown in color or can appear lighter than the surrounding skin. The spots will not tan. As a result, the condition is more apparent in the summer months due to increased sun exposure; the affected areas may seem to disappear or become slightly darker in the winter as the surrounding skin becomes paler. The same is true from exposure to UV in a tanning unit. The areas with tinea versicolor won't tan and become noticeable as lighter spots of untanned skin.
The darker a person's skin type or tan is, the more noticeable the condition will be. Factors such as heat, humidity, sweat, tight-fitting clothes and chronic illness can predispose an individual to tinea versicolor, but these factors do not need to be present for someone to get the infection. Additionally, tinea versicolor is most common in adolescents and young adults, but it can happen at any age. Although this condition may be unsightly and can cause itching, it is not a serious threat to one's health-but it is chronic and easily can recur. The condition is not contagious.
The infection is treated with topical or oral medications. Non-prescription antifungal creams work well in less-severe cases, while prescription antifungal lotions and sprays may be more appropriate for tougher cases. Hollywood Tans sells a great product called HALT which works to get rid of these white spots. You can also use a selenium shampoo, such as Selsun Blue. Typically, individuals suffering from the infection are advised to wash their bodies with the shampoo as if it were soap, leave it on a few minutes before rinsing and repeat this process for a specified number of days. Oral medication may be prescribed for severe or recurrent cases.
Regardless of the treatment method, the infection may return. To reduce this likelihood, individuals often are instructed to re-treat once a week for three to four weeks and then once a month for three to four months. After treatment, all clothing and bedding should be laundered to help prevent recurrence.
Even after completion of successful treatment, the patches will remain visible until the untanned skin has a chance to catch up with the surrounding area through subsequent tanning sessions. This will take a while; customers can use self-tanner or bronzer lotions to even out those white spots in the meantime.
We recommend clients with any medical concerns see their physicians or pharmacists for advice.