The anti-aging market is booming – so much so, in fact, that many consider it to be recession-proof. Products and services geared toward preserving or promoting a youthful appearance are all the rage in America, where the focus is often on looking and feeling good.
As a tanning salon owner, you already have a customer base that prioritizes proper skincare, and values the benefits of tanning in moderation. Anti-aging skincare treatments are a natural fit, especially when considering the appeal to consumers, and the ease of incorporating these services into your existing business model.
So, how do you begin to integrate red light therapy with collagen lamps? For salon professionals, it starts with understanding your target markets.
We can thank the large baby boomer population for many of the up-and-coming advances in skincare. Their disposable income and collective quest to appear younger resulted in an explosion of new anti-aging technologies. To tap this budding market, innovation is the key. Lotions and supplements promising various results are a dime a dozen. Invasive and painful treatments such as ablative laser resurfacing, face lift surgery or chemical peels – with the accompanying side effects and long recovery processes – are going by the wayside.
Today’s consumers want to age – and fight aging – more naturally. They lean toward procedures that are non-invasive, painless and require no downtime. These options are especially important to the younger crowd, which is more aware and proactive in fighting aging than any generation before them. Consumers in their 20s and 30s want to circumvent the aging process and early-target visible signs of fine lines and wrinkles. The use of collagen lamps with a wavelength of 633nm used in conventional tanning beds is the perfect solution.
Red light therapy treatments are attractive for many reasons. For example, they are:
•effective and there is no downtime for customers.
•non-invasive and UV-free.
•positively perceived among consumers.
•regarded as a “natural” anti-aging procedure.
•easy-to-access and affordable for your salon clients (as opposed to Botox injections, laser or LED treatments, etc.).
How does it work?
When talking about collagen lamps being used for anti-aging purposes in a tanning salon, we’re referring to visible red light that is UV-free. At a wavelength of 620 to 700nm, the red light of collagen lamps penetrates human tissue to a depth of about 8-10 mm. Skin layers, because of their high blood and water content, easily absorb red light. This process is extremely beneficial in treating problems close to the surface of the skin such as wrinkles, age spots, broken capillaries, wounds, cuts or scars. Collagen lamps simply promote collagen production for plumper, more youthful looking skin.
Some other benefits of red light therapy include:
•Smoothing and reducing wrinkles and fine lines
•Firming aged and tired skin
•Advancing moisture retention
•Providing more consistent skin coloration and complexion
•Increasing circulation due to increased formation of new capillaries
•Promoting oxygenation and restoration of the skin’s natural cellular activity, which keeps the skin renewed and fresh
How Do I Sell It?
The opportunities to increase sales with current customers and to attract new clients are enormous. It all starts with tanning salon owners taking an interest in the process – learning more about collagen lamps and the functioning of the skin. Learning about the invasive anti-aging treatments that are on the market is also important, so you are able to compare and illustrate the advantages of red light therapy to salon visitors.
Salon owners who are considering incorporating red light therapy must be prepared to commit to the level of customer education inherent in offering this type of new treatment. The consultation process is crucial – especially considering the new target markets the service will attract. Many customers seeking red light therapy will be new to the tanning salon environment, and they may or may not be interested in tanning. As with any of your services beyond UV tanning, just be open to catering to the demographic that is focused on the benefits offered – in this case, anti-aging. Together, all your services will help your salon thrive as you offer an array of options for customers with different goals.
With the proper selling tools and education, red light therapy has limitless potential. If we all (that means salons, distributors, bed/booth OEMs and lamp OEMs) work together as partners, our industry can be at the cornerstone of the vast and rapidly growing anti-aging market. Red light therapy is only the beginning.
Karl Platzer is the executive vice president of marketing and sales at LightSources and the managing director at LightTech Kft. Gene Czako is senior application sales engineer at Light Sources. Together, they are preparing professional tanning salon owners to advance the industry with this exciting skincare opportunity. For more information on red light therapy, please visit www.light-sources.com/redlamps or speak with your local distributor.
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