Protective Eyewear: A No. 1 Priority
by Judie Bizzozero
It’s a fact that people who tan indoors without using protective eyewear risk long-term damage to their eyes. Some tanners simply are too vain, lazy or uniformed about the cumulative effects of ultraviolet light on the unprotected eye. In the words of former president Harry S. Truman: The Buck Stops Here.
Salon owners and employees have a responsibility to educate each and every person who tans indoors about protecting their eyes. The first and most obvious is to educate salon staff about the importance of providing clean, sanitized protective eyewear to each client. FDA regulations require that signs be posted on the tanning equipment and that salon owners explain the proper use of protective eyewear to every customer. Failure to comply puts the owner at risk of being held liable in professional-liability lawsuits.
Goggles also must be properly sanitized and dried after every use to prevent the spread of diseases such as conjunctivitis, or pinkeye. Heat from the tanning bed can build up bacteria on the goggles over time. Additionally, goggles should be kept in a sanitary container. This is one obvious benefit of disposable eyewear—no chance for infection.
Disposable eyewear is completely sanitary because the tanner wears it once and throws it in the trash after the tanning session. The benefit to salons is they don’t have to worry about keeping the goggle tanks clean and sanitary, mixing the fluid correctly, rinsing off the goggles, scraping any makeup and mascara out of the inside of the goggles, or replacing broken or stolen goggles.
Ohio and Texas regulations require that eyewear be provided to customers at no charge. Other states have the option to sell or provide disposable eyewear or reusable goggles. However, salons that ask their customers to buy protective goggles or disposable eyewear can add hundreds or thousands of extra dollars to their coffers each year.
It’s In The Fit
A major factor in the use and care of eyewear is proper fit. Too often, tanners discard the elastic bands that are provided with the goggles. They don’t realize that these are part of the protective process. Connective bands are used to hold the glasses close to the eye so no UV light can seep in around the edges. Just placing the goggles over the eyes simply isn’t good enough. When clients purchase protective eyewear, tell them they must use the connective band or they are altering the product.
Other forms of protective eyewear use thin, pliable wires across the nose bridge to hold them to the face. They can be adjusted to form the eyewear to the contours of the individual’s eyes and face.
Disposables do not have nose bridges to leave a tan line across the nose. Additionally, some disposables have a deeper cone so there is more eyelash room for clients who have long eyelashes.
Encourage all tanners to find an FDA-compliant product and wear it. Use marketing techniques such as posters, fliers or other proactive methods to educate the customers. If a salon owner or employee notices a customer not using eyewear, have a frank discussion about the regulations and the facility’s rules. Don’t underestimate the power of a lawsuit if a tanner suffers an injury to his or her eyes.
