The tanning equipment on today’s market offers a variety of technologically advanced options to tanners. Not only are they available in a variety of shapes and sizes, they also come in traditional bed or standup configurations. No matter what type of equipment you choose for your salon, an understanding of the basic tanning unit function and makeup is a necessity.
Beds Versus Standups
Deciding whether to outfit your salon with tanning beds or standups can present a dilemma to some salon owners. Do the majority of your customers want to lie down when they tan or would they prefer to stand up? Whether replacing or adding units in an existing salon or outfitting a new facility from scratch, it is important to weigh the benefits of each format and decide which best fits the salon’s goals.
There are a number of advantages to a standup. First, it takes up less space, and with the cost of retail space rent, that’s no minor consideration. Most freestanding tanning standups take up about 10-15 square feet of floor space, about half the room of a tanning bed. In addition, most manufacturers offer prefabricated dressing cubicles that attach to their standup units, making a completely private tanning area that occupies little more space than the average tanning bed. This is especially beneficial in an area not specifically designed with tanning in mind.
Another highlight of the standup comes from the principle that heat rises. Since the tanning lamps are located around the tanning customer in a stand-up unit and not above as in a bed, cooling of the unit is simplified. An efficient fan in the ceiling and vents at floor level keep the unit cool throughout the tanning session.
The hygienic factor often is touted as another advantage. During a standing tanning session, a tanner’s body contact with the tanning unit is minimized. This makes cleaning between sessions almost unnecessary and also puts the minds of many customers at ease.
Also, the white spots, known as pressure points, are eliminated by using a stand-up unit. Pressure points occur where relatively small areas of skin support much of the body’s weight. In places where this occurs, such as on the bony edge of the shoulder blade, blood flow in the skin is reduced and the secretion of melanin is inhibited. In a stand-up unit, the tanner has no contact with the acrylic, so there is no problem with pressure points.
Despite the advantages of stand-up unit, the traditional tanning bed remains the industry standard, mainly because people enjoy unwinding while they tan. Many consider it as much an escape as a cosmetic treatment. Another benefit of beds lies in the initial cost of the unit. A quality tanning bed can be bought new for less than $4,000 and there are a wide variety of units in the $3,000 to $40,000 or higher price range. Standups, on the other hand, start at about $8,000 and prices go up from there, jumping considerably for extra bells and whistles.
Increasingly, tanning salons are offering both beds and standups and leaving the choice up to their clients.
Tanning Unit Components
To an inexperienced tanning salon owner, a tanning unit can look intimidating, and when it is dismantled, it gets even more confusing. For this reason, a basic course on tanning unit components is essential for novices and makes a good review for the experienced equipment owner.
Acrylic. Tanning bed acrylic is a petroleum-based plastic blended specifically so ultraviolet light can be transmitted through the shield. Because this type of acrylic is a poor conductor of heat, it is a comfortable material for the tanner to rest on.
But the real issue here isn’t how acrylic is made or what it’s made of—the real problem seems to be remembering that you have acrylic at all. In fact, many believe that acrylic is probably the most used—and most-often overlooked component of the tanning bed.
When purchasing acrylics, look for the highest-quality shield, which ultimately will be the least expensive in the long run because it will last longer. The average acrylic sheet can cost a few hundred dollars or more, but don’t always shop price because you get what you pay for. And since acrylic is the part of the bed that may be the most physically used, salons should not cut corners.
When purchasing acrylics, you should look for a company that offers some type of guarantee. Remember, if a company is not willing to give you a warranty, what does that say about its product?
Reflectors. There are several types of reflectors on the market, but their functions are universally the same. They are designed to reflect the ultraviolet rays emitted by the sides and back of the lamp, providing a greater intensity exposure with a more even distribution. The reflector also may be designed to aid in channeling airflow within the unit to provide more efficient cooling of lamps.
Reflectors generally are made of highly polished aluminum. There are two basic types: One in which the reflectors for top and bottom are each single sheets; and, the other in which there is a reflector for each lamp in the bed. The single sheet category may be further broken down into those that are flat and those that are ridged. The raised portion of the ridged reflectors come from in-between the lamps to reflect more of the ultraviolet light coming from the sides of the lamp back to the tanning surface. Computers are increasingly used in reflector design to maximize the intensity of reflected tanning rays.
The most common cases in which there is one reflector for each lamp is in Wolff® System units. The patented Wolff reflectors are shaped like a rounded “W” and come up around each lamp in order to capture as much of the lamp’s output as possible. Rays coming from the back of the lamp tend to be reflected around the lamp and onto the tanning surface.
Cooling Systems. An efficient, balanced cooling system is important to ensure maximum lamp output and longevity. The internal fans drive the cooling system. Lamps that are in too cool of an environment emit tanning rays at a lower level. Those whose surroundings are too hot have a shorter life. Fluorescent powders normally degrade over time, but do so more rapidly at higher temperatures, resulting in reduced lamp life. Therefore, it is important for the cooling system to be kept clean and in peak operating condition.
Frame. The frame of the tanning bed has several basic functions. It supports the weight of the bed and the tanner, determines the size and approximate shape of the unit, and provides points of attachment for the various internal components of the bed.
Power Source. Proper voltage is another important factor in keeping the tanning unit running at peak condition. The voltage going into the unit should be checked periodically. If the voltage is too high, the life of the lamps may be shortened by as much as 30 percent. It does not take much of a surge in power to start this process.
If lamps have become blackened on the ends, it is often an indication that the voltage going into the bed is too high. However, check the starters, as they may be providing too great a start-up burst of power. Overly high voltage occurs most often in rural areas. On the other hand, if the power going into the bed is too low, the bed will not be working to its maximum ability.
Timer. The timer is another key component of the tanning unit. Without one, producing consistently good results would be difficult, not to mention that the FDA does not permit the operation of a tanning unit without a timer. Every tanning bed or standup sold for use in the United States comes with a timer built in, usually with a maximum setting that corresponds to the maximum exposure time for that particular piece of tanning equipment. However, these are only the basic timers that do not offer the salon operator control over what goes on in the tanning room. In fact, these timers limit the maximum time per session, but do nothing to prevent the tanning customer from resetting the timer when the session is over.
Unfortunately, when the customer overexposes himself, thinking that it will improve his tan and ends up with a burn, his only thought is likely to be that he got burned in your salon, not that he did so as a result of his own uninformed actions. Even if the customer doesn’t sunburn from the added exposure, the fact is that he paid for a session of a certain length and received a longer one, at your expense.
Both of these situations point to the need for some form of control over the tanning unit. An external timer can fill this need. It is a component separate from the tanning bed that uses either tokens, available at the front desk, or is actually located at the front desk. Remote-controlled timers can be wall-mounted or sit on a desktop. Some available features are digital readouts, adjustable session times, easy installation and the ability to interface with any tanning unit. The obvious advantage of the remote-controlled timer is the control it gives to the salon operator.
Another other feature offered by many of these systems is a session accumulator. The session accumulator tracks bed usage, telling salon owners how many sessions each tanning unit has delivered in a day. Second, it acts as an inventory check, keeping salon employees from giving away sessions to friends.
Some systems offer a remote start switch that can be operated from the tanning room. The salon operator sets the session time at the front desk and then, when the client is ready to start a session, he can push a button, automatically starting the front desk timer.
Safety concerns are the reason many systems have the ability to shut off a tanning bed from the main unit should an emergency arise.
Lamp Connections. Lampholders support fluorescent lamps and provide electrical connection. There are numerous types of fluorescent lampholders available for the different types of lamp bases. The most frequently used connector for preheat and rapid-start bi-pin lamps is the twist-turn type. Spring-pressure push-pull lampholders also are used for bi-pin base lamps. For single lamp ballasts and dimming ballasts, special circuit-interrupting bi-pin lampholders are available. In the case of some single-pin lamps, support comes in the form of a high-voltage lampholder with a low-voltage circuit-interrupting feature. This type of connector prevents voltage from being applied to the pins of the lamp until it is secured firmly in both lampholders, reducing the possibility of shock when installing the lamps.
Ballasts and Starters. The job of the ballast is to regulate the flow of electricity into the lamp. They are rated according to the wattage of the lamp for which they are designed; that is to say, a 100-watt lamp requires a 100-watt ballast. Traditionally, ballasts are either electronic or magnetic. Electronic ballasts have the advantage of being lighter than their magnetic counterparts. Magnetic ballasts, while heavier, are more resistant to heat and have fewer parts to fail. Because of their weight, the placement of ballasts in the top portion of a bed is sometimes used for balance, making the top easier to open and close. If a ballast needs to be replaced, the new one should be attached in the same place as the old, to avoid altering the balance of the canopy.
Separate starters most often are found in beds of European origin. Starters are the spark plugs of tanning beds. When current is applied to the lamp circuit, the starter sends a high-voltage pulse through the electrodes, warming up the lamp and initiating the arc between the electrodes. If starter output is inconsistent or incorrect, you may notice blackening of the lamp ends.
