By Amanda Henthorn and Dana Sanders
We see a lot of posts on TanToday.com from salon owners who want to add airbrush/spray tan to their salons. In our opinion, it is a great money maker; however, there are some folks that try to jump in without studying the proper way to apply the different types of solution, etc.
As we all know, our industry suffers enough of a bad rap without the potential mistakes that can be avoided through research and proper training. Although there are many different systems and products available – and even various theories on which techniques are most successful – here are some helpful hints on what’s worked best at our salon through the years.
For starters, we recommend that you study, study, study and then practice, practice, practice (and then practice some more before you take on any clients). We do sunless by appointment only, so we make it a point when a new sunless customer calls to explain what they need to do before they come in to be sprayed. These steps include:
1.The client should exfoliate their skin using exfoliating gloves with an exfoliating scrub, which you can sell and make more money. They need to scrub hard and in different directions – hard enough to exfoliate but not damage their skin. They should pay special attention to their legs, knees, ankles, feet, elbows and knuckles. The purpose of the exfoliation is to get the top layer of dead skin off. The spray solution only sets into the top layer of dead skin, so you want to have a fresh layer of dead skin to spray. By doing this in advance, their tan will last longer and look better.
2. The tanner should do a fresh shave of their legs and armpits with a new razor, using hair conditioner instead of shaving cream, as the latter will dry the skin. We recommend doing this the night before or the morning of their spray. Remind them that they should wait 12 hours after a spray to shower – and at least six hours before excessive sweating (exercise, working outdoors, etc.) – so they should plan accordingly.
3. Advise the customer not to apply any deodorant, oils, makeup, perfume or lotion for at least six to eight hours before the spray. All these may act as a barrier, not allowing the solution to properly react with their proteins and amino acids. We also offer makeup remover, which is great for female clients that come in straight from work.
4. To help set proper expectations for the client and yourself, explain what they can wear. For starters, you need to determine your own comfort level. We will not spray anyone totally in the buff; it’s just too much information for the eyes. Beyond that, we encourage the customer to dress to the level they are comfortable. For instance, they can wear an old swimsuit or an old bra and underwear. They can also go topless – which 99 percent of women do – or they can get down to a g-string or thong.
5. Let the client know what will happen during/after the spray – from the amount of time they’ll stay in your salon for the application and drying, to the need to wear loose baggy clothing (dark cotton and something like a sundress works best) for six hours. They need to know that any tight clothes will leave tan lines they do not want.
During the service, you must make your clients feel at ease. Remember, they are in a very uneasy situation. Many of our clients comment that only their doctor sees them this way. Since they can be fighting with embarrassment before they even enter the tanning room, you want to create a peaceful atmosphere from the moment they hit your front door.
One way you can help customers relax is by talking with them through the process. At the start of the session, you may focus on tips to help them keep their tan longer. As you move to spray their more delicate areas, try to make it easy for them talk to you. If they concentrate on sharing about their family or work, it helps take their mind off of where you are spraying them. Silence may be golden in a movie theater, but during a spray tan, it usually only makes things awkward.
Here are some additional tips we work in to the conversation:
•They should put on clear finger nail polish, or a barrier cream will be provided at the salon.
•If it is their first session, they should get the second within five to 10 days to maintain the color.
•After a spray, they should wash daily with soft gel soap, not bar soap, as it can shorten the life of the tan.
•After showering, they should pat their skin dry instead of rubbing it; moisturize well after each shower and every night; and avoid long, hot baths or showers, as they speed up the exfoliation process.
•When washing dishes or other cleaning tasks, we recommend they wear rubber gloves.
Some salon owners may disagree with our best practices, but this is what has worked well for us. And remember, the more info you give your client, the more credibility you gain. And you will have happy – and repeat – clients.
We’ll share another article soon with more tips on successfully incorporating sunless services into your salon.
Amanda Henthorn and Dana Sanders are partners at SunBurst Tans in Danville, Ill. They started in the airbrush business more than six years ago by renting a small room in a UV salon, which they now own and operate. They are both certified with NTTI. The ladies love getting to know their clients personally and consider their "regulars" part of their family. These loyal customers have helped them build a great reputation, particularly for their airbrush expertise.
