Seeing The Light

Seeing The Light
A Refresher Course on Eyewear Issues & The Salon

by Judie Gaillard

As we gear up for the upcoming indoor tanning season, smart salon owners should take time out of their busy schedules to refresh their employees on the key issues surrounding indoor tanning. Although offering top-notch equipment and supplies, combined with superior customer service, is part of the winning ingredients in the overall success recipe, we cannot downplay the importance of proper eye protection.

As a responsible salon owner, you must stress the importance of proper eyecare before, during and after tanning. It is essential to take the high road and educate your tanners about the ramifications of tanning without proper eye protection. Every person who tans at a salon (or who is active outdoors for that matter) should be wearing some sort of eyewear that protects their eyes from ultraviolet light.

But how does a salon owner and his staff open a client's eyes to the importance of eyewear? The answer lies in the following four facts:

1. Eyewear protects your eyes from harmful ultraviolet light.

2. UV damage is cumulative.

3. The short-term health risk is corneal burns, which are a sunburn on the surface of the eye.

It shows up within a few hours of exposure and is characterized by increased sensitivity, a burning sensation and excessive tearing. The effects are apparently temporary and usually disappear within a day or so.

4. The long-term health risk includes brunescent cataracts, which are a clouding or pigmentation of the lens within the eye. Slow to develop, the cataracts occur over the years and, unfortunately, are permanent. The clouding affects night vision and also can alter perception of color. The only known cure for this is cataract surgery.

There are two common misconceptions regarding eyewear. The first is that eyelids will tan. The second is that closing the eyelid protects the eye. The reality is that eyelids don't tan and closing eyes during tanning does not protect them; therefore, protective eyewear is imperative.

The benefit of not using protective eyewear--no line on the bridge of your nose--doesn't outweigh the risks involved, which include long-term damage to the eyes. But, should a salon owner resort to scare tactics to get their customers to use eyewear?

Some experts suggest that salon owners rephrase their approach and promote the benefits, such as keeping your eyesight into old age or enjoying all the colors in the world. However, scare tactics always are appropriate when dangers exist. Again, it's nice to state a positive benefit as opposed to a threatening negative, but if dangers truly exist, salon operators have a responsibility to inform their clients.

In The Public Eye

There are many issues surrounding protective eyewear; however, the two that seem to dominate are vanity and apathy.

Some salon owners agree that some of their clients do not wear eyewear, even though it is required by the FDA. One concern is "raccoon eyes." They find that their customers would rather damage their eyes than have an untanned ring around them. However, many salon owners say that a number of manufacturers have improved the design of eyewear to avoid this common problem.

Another concern tanners have is cleanliness of the eyewear supplied in the tanning room. Obviously, it is the responsibility of the salons to comply with state sanitation statutes, and explain them to their customers. Many salons report that the majority of their customers supply their own FDA-approved eyewear--purchased from a tanning salon. Yet, they still are required to supply eye protection either at the counter or in the tanning rooms. Some salon owners report that although they supply disposable eye protection free to their customers, they find them in the trash unused.

An interesting issue is salon owner indifference. Some salon owners don't attempt to make their customers wear protective eyewear because once they are behind the closed door of a tanning room, there is no way to make sure clients are wearing eyewear. However, if the salon operator has done a strong enough job of promoting the risk/benefit equation--in other words, giving the consumer enough information to make an intelligent decision--then they've done their job. The fact is, informed consumers make better decisions.

Another important aspect to eyewear is fit. The goggle should fit snugly around the eyeball. If a client can see out of the sides of the goggle or notices light coming in, they need another pair.

Most customers are concerned with comfort and often choose not to use eyewear because it's uncomfortable. Eyewear manufacturers have made changes to ensure their products are more comfortable and don't allow light to seep in, if worn properly. Unfortunately, many tanners don't choose to follow directions on the package such as wearing the elastic headband to hold the eyewear snugly in place.

Because of the risk of infectious diseases, such as impetigo, viral or bacterial infections, cold sores and other types of sores, goggles should be disinfected between each use. Remind clients that the risk of infection doesn't only come from other people, but it's possible to continually reinfect yourself if you have some type of virus or infection.

Not only should eyewear be cleaned after every use, but they should be disinfected as well.

It has been noted that some salons prefer using the bed cleaner to clean and sanitize the eyewear. The problem here is while the majority of bed cleaners effectively kill germs, some do not. So it is extremely important that the cleaning solution is designed to sanitize and clean all in one function; has been properly mixed to prevent eye irritation; is non-toxic and does not leave a film behind; will not damage plastics; and, clearly states on the product label that it will effectively kill all the leading germs and bacteria.

Another important point is that eyewear needs to be replaced. It should be noted that some cleaning solutions are destructive to plastics and acrylics used in reusable eyewear, making it fall below FDA standards. So, salons may think they are providing FDA-compliant eyewear when, in fact, they may not be. If a salon insists on providing reusable eyewear to its clients, then the salon should replace eyewear regularly.

Another maintenance point is to replace the headbands as they become worn, frayed or broken. If eyewear is provided with headbands, then headbands are needed to produce proper fit. A lot of salons are not replacing broken headbands and the result is customers cannot possibly get the proper fit.

Salon owners and their staff don't have to blindside their clients to make them see the positive benefits of wearing protective eyewear. All that needs to be done is to address the concerns in informal conversations or establish a formal sign-in procedure with your clientele.

Liability & The Salon

What if you've done everything possible to warn a customer about the dangers of tanning without protective eyewear and they still don't utilize them? Will a salon owner be liable for damages?

All states that have rules have what is called a consumer statement. What happens is that the customer signs a document that has the same information that is listed on the warning signs--overexposure may cause premature aging of the skin, skin cancer, etc. It also says eye injury may result, etc. This is a permanent legal document. If a person signs this statement--which they're supposed to, to be compliant--then the liability is back on the tanner. So the tanner knows that if they burn their eyes, they've signed this saying they knew what the consequences were.

According to experts, salons can get into a lot of trouble if they are not regularly making it a point to advise customers of the government regulations, health benefits and risk factors. They need to do this in a bold fashion and as a regular part of greeting a new customer. They can even mention it regularly in their newsletters. The FDA regulation says that not only must there be signs on the equipment, but also that the salon owner must explain the use of protective eyewear to every customer. If they're not doing it, or if they're weak on it, then they're going to be found (or far more likely to be found) liable in professional liability suits.

The only ways for a salon to prove they've done their job in warning clients about the risks of not wearing eyewear are:

• Post signs on the walls.
• Include a section on protective eye-wear in your training manual.
• Have a copy of the warning on the sign-in card, so it's obvious that the customer had to review the conse-quences and hazards of their actions.

Remember, as a responsible tanning salon operator you must be committed to educating your staff and your clients about wearing protective eyewear.

Last, but certainly not least, salon owners and service technicians need to wear protective eyewear when checking bulbs and reading the meters on equipment. Protective eyewear is an issue that needs to be looked at seriously. Every salon has a responsibility to inform its customers of the health risks they're taking every time they remove their protective eyewear. And the customer cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the care and maintenance of their eyesight.

FDA Requirements

If salon owners are keeping their eyes on their customers, then who's keeping watch over the manufacturers? The answer is simple--the FDA.

The Code of Federal Regulations requires that the FDA inspect the manufacturing facility a minimum of once every two years. During the inspection they look for adherence to GMP (Good Manufacture Practice) and all operations in accordance in Title 21 of Federal Regulations.

Regulations require that the manufacturer test every batch of his product for compliance. What specifically does the FDA look for? UV transmittance. The regulation requires that less than one-tenth of 1 percent of UVB and less than 1 percent of UVA is transmitted while still allowing enough visible light to pass through for vision.

Whether they like it or not, wearing protective eyewear is necessary for a client's safety and health. But there is one other benefit to protective eyewear that salon owners don't seem to recognize--profit.

The bottom line is that the salons that are asking their customers to buy protective eyewear are pulling in thousands of dollars a year. Especially when it's sold as something the client needs to have for their own best health.