Spray+Tanning+vs.+Tanning+Beds

Spray Tanning vs. Tanning Beds By: Rebecca Fuger

Tanning is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures today. A 2003 estimated that ten percent of Americans spend about $300 per year for tanning. Within the United States' market, tanning brings in over $9 billion per year and that doesn't include the $3 billion spent on tanning products.

There are two ways to achieve thedesired sun-shined result: spray tanning and the tanning beds. These methods of tanning are the most popular ways to look like you just returned from a relaxing vacation on the beach. The tanning business is amostlyseasonal business with their busiest times happening right after winter when everyone starts to show more skin: the busiest months being March, April, May, and June.

Spray tanning, also called airbrush tans, aredone by professional technicians that use special equipment such as laser guided spray guns that are designed for applying the spray tans. This technician airbrushes, or sprays, the client from head to foot with a gentle misting. The portable equipment allows spray tanning to be available in a wide variety of places, including malls and there is also options forhome application. Spray tanning is simple and considered safe because there is no ultraviolet exposure;however it does not produce the same results and lasts for a much shorter amount of time than tanning with a tanning bed. With spray tanning, it is also possible to re-apply to provide a darker complexion. An airbrushed tan gives you color right awayand provides moisturizing agents that help skin soak up color, which provides a glow. David Culler, the owner of Sunrise Bay, a tanning salon on Route 31 in Pennington, said that at his salon, “The spray booth will last five days and an airbrushing will last for 7 days.” One advantage that spray tans have, according to Culler is that, “spraying provides instant color.”

The tanning bed, which is far more popularthan the spray tanning, gives a longer lasting tan that looks more authentic. Tanning beds are often considered to be unsafe due to the ultraviolet radiation in the beds. Dangerous diseases such as melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer,are often linked directly to overexposure to ultraviolet rays. Other bad health effects related to ultraviolet radiation include cataracts, a weakened immune system, and premature skin aging. The World Health Organization declared using tanning beds for cosmetic purposes to be dangerous. Using a bed without protective goggles also can lead to a condition called arc eye. Arc eye is associated with overexposure to UV rays and causes an inflammation of the cornea.

Culler, voices some dissent to the accusations that tanning beds have irreversible and adverse health effects. “There’s a lot of misinformation about the safety. Many people compare tanning to smoking and that is a shame.” He then cited several diseasesand conditionsthat are mediated by vitamin D, such as asthma,tuberculosis, and psoriasis. Vitamin D, which is found in ultraviolet rays helps to absorb the calcium and phosphorus from your food into your intestines and it also enables bone growth. Culler elaborated by saying: “Your skin is an organ. Part of its function is to absorb sunlight and vitamin D.” This deficiency leaves millions of people at risk for conditions such as osteoporosis. Dr. Holick, a Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and Biochemistry at Boston University estimated that over a billion people in the world are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, and 30-50% of those deficient are in the United States. "Vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic in this country," stated Dr. Holick. "Sensible sun exposure and the use of supplements are the best ways to address this easily preventable condition," he added. One major way to prevent vitamin D deficiency is to be exposed to more sunlight or to use a tanning bed.

The tanning craze has overtaken this country and has even led to the term “tanorexia,” the definition is someone who is considered legitimatelyaddicted to tanning their skin. But, it is important to know that before you make a trip to the tanning salon the different costs and benefits to the different ways to get this summery glow. With all of the conflicting information out thereabout sunless tanning, it is important to determine for yourself what works the best for you. Whether you want a quick fix with spray tanning or a longer lasting tan from a tanning bed you should find out what is the best for yourself. But, you cannot ignore the certain dangers that come with tanning and should approach it with proper precautionsso that the next time you step into that tanning booth you know the difference between airbrushing a tan and laying in a tanning bed.