How Tanning Beds Work

Tanning is when your skin becomes darker after exposure to sunlight. The changes typically occur when you lie under the sun for a long duration. If you want a quicker and more comfortable way to darken your skin, try tanning beds. Here is how tanning beds work.

What Is a Tanning Bed?

A tanning bed has an artificial tan that generates UV rays as the sun does. The bed is also called a sunbed due to its ability to mimic the sun. Nearly all rays from the sunbed are UVA rays, but a tiny number of them might be UVB rays. Advancements in technology have produced tanning beds with filters that block nearly all UVB rays while allowing UVA rays to reach the skin.

How Does a Tanning Bed Work?

The tanning bed usually has UV lamps or bulbs to generate UV rays. The lamps are typically located underneath the bed and connect to an electric power source. An inductor inside the lamp or bulb controls the amount of electricity flowing through the lamp. When the bulb turns on, it produces huge amounts of UV rays, including UVB and UVA rays.

How Does the Skin Tan?

The tanning process occurs in your skin’s outermost layer (epidermis). This layer contains special cells called melanocytes that can produce melanin. When the UVA rays from the tanning bed come in contact with your skin, the melanocytes start to generate melanin. Other skin cells in the epidermis will then absorb the pinkish melanin, which oxidizes to create a tan appearance.

Every person has the same number of melanocyte cells in the epidermis. However, hereditary factors determine the amount of melanin production in your body. African-Americans produce a lot of melanin that makes their skin look brown or black in color. On the other hand, Caucasians have less melanin production, causing their skin to appear pale.

What Can You Expect?

When you go to a tanning spa, the staff will ask you to lie on the tanning bed. The parts of your skin that you want to become tanned will be exposed. Once you’re comfortable, the technician will turn on the lamps to generate UV rays. UVA rays will then penetrate the exposed parts of your body and enter the skin. If you want a darker tan, you will have to spend more time on the tanning bed.

Most people start the process slowly and then gradually increase their exposure time. For example, your initial session may be five minutes long. You will then wait for a few days before undergoing another session. Remember not to wait for too long between the sessions since that can cause the tanning to fade. Once the professionals understand how your skin responds to the tanning, they will create a fixed schedule for each week.

What Type of Tanning Bed Should You Choose?

Lower level tanning beds can either be vertical or horizontal. Horizontal tanning beds have lower intensity bulbs and take a longer time to complete the tanning process. Although there are higher intensity beds as well. In contrast, you can also choose vertical tanning beds that have higher intensity bulbs and can quickly complete the tanning process.

All tanning beds may have a timer to ensure the process completes on time. Additional features that make the tanning bed more effective include a high-quality acrylic shell that maintains favorable temperatures during operation to protect your skin.

Tan Your Hide is a locally-owned and operated tanning salon that uses the highest quality equipment for skin tanning. We offer various aesthetic services, such as hybrid tanning, slim spa, and red light collagen services. Contact us to learn how we can help you.