Protective Eyewear

As a responsible salon owner, you can’t stress enough 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 potentially harmful ultraviolet light.

2. UV damage is cumulative.

3. The short-term health risk is corneal burns, which is 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. Brunescent cataracts are a clouding or pigmentation of the lens within the eye. They are slow to develop, usually occurring over a matter of years, but they are permanent. The clouding affects night vision and also can alter perception of color. Cataract surgery is the only known cure.

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 simple truth is that it does not, 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 (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 are always 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.

There are many issues surrounding protective eyewear. The two that seem to dominate the topic are vanity and apathy.

In talking to salon owners nationwide, they agree that some of their tanners 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, the salon owners did state that a number of manufacturers have improved the design to avoid this common problem.