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 Tanning beds continue to be a debated issue in regards to their safety. The manufacturers of such equipment and tanning salon owners want to focus on the positive aspects of tanning. They entice people to use them because of the convenience, the beautiful tan you can obtain, and the good feelings most people who tan have.
On the other hand, researchers and government officiating agencies continue to warn consumers about the safety risks involved with tanning. As a consumer who has the option to take part in tanning activities, it is important to have all the information and then to make your own decision based on accurate information. You need to be aware of the safety issues in relation to the UV rays from tanning lamps. Different models and brands feature different wattages, and that will affect your tanning experience. The higher the wattage is, the less time you want to spend in your tanning sessions. Most tanning salons will inform you as to the wattage in use in their salon. They will often, as a courteously not a requirement, let you know when new bulbs have been installed. In most cases you will want to reduce you tanning time by a couple of minutes when the bulbs have been replaced. If you are exposed to UV rays from tanning beds or booths for too long, you will walk away with a dangerous sunburn. This can cause damage to your skin cells as well as increase your chances of getting skin cancer. To avoid this from happening, start out by tanning for only 5-7 minutes each session. If you don’t burn you can increase the time of your tanning sessions by a couple of minutes. It is a good idea to allow at least 48 hours between tanning sessions so that you can see the full effects on your skin. Every tanning bed and booth has to be equipped with a safety feature so you can shut off the power to the tanning equipment in the event of an emergency. Make sure you know where this power source is located on each tanning bed or booth you use. If you start to feel sick, burned, dizzy, or uncomfortable, stop the process immediately. Since hundreds of people will be walking in and out of a tanning salon on any given day, it is essential that sanitary practices are enforced. This includes thoroughly wiping down all tanning equipment after each person uses it. If you enter a tanning bed or booth area that does not appear to be clean, make sure you report it immediately. You don’t want to risk contracting anything from using the tanning equipment. By law, tanning salons have to offer you satisfactory eye protection. This is essential because you can burn your retina and cornea. You can also develop cataracts. Simply offering eye protections isn’t enough though because how can you monitor if it gets used? To encourage those who use tanning salons to use eye protection, safety warnings are usually displayed in the salon. You may have to sign waiver before you can tan stating you understand why eye protection is offered and that salon is not liable should eye damage occur. The problem with the eye protection offered by various tanning salons is they buy them in bulk and clean them for others to use. This means they aren’t designed to fit your individual facial features. To really ensure the best protection for your eyes while tanning, purchase your own. You can get the kind you use over and over again or you can get disposable ones. There are many different safety issues to take into consideration if you decide to use tanning equipment. You can reduce your risks of skin damage, eye damage, and other concerns by paying attention to your body and following these guidelines.
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