A veteran member of the Wolff System Technology
Corp. Sales & Marketing team, Cheri Mullenix also trains
hundreds of salon professionals on Wolff sunlamp products each
year.
by Cheri Mullenix
I
recently received a call from Robert, a tanner in the Dallas,
TX area who had several questions about sunlamps. The following
is
an excerpt of our discussion.
For starters, Robert’s main concerns about choosing a tanning
salon were:
a) Convenience,
b) Payment plan options,
c) Friendliness & cleanliness of the salon
After visiting our website (wolffsystem.com), he realized he was barely scratching
the surface of what to look for in a salon.
I informed Robert that his criteria were good, but he needed to also consider a salon’s tanning equipment and lamps. As we celebrate Wolff System’s 29th year, it’s obvious that we produce an excellent lamp that meets a salon’s demands. Robert’s question: “Which lamp should I tan with?”
Unfortunately, a sunlamp that will make every indoor tanner happy has not been made yet. Lamps are designed for use in different beds with different exposure schedules. Also, based on skin types, some people tan faster than others. Some develop a dark brown color and some may just turn a golden brown – this is a function of a tanner’s personal physiology and skin makeup. For example, a person with Skin Type V would tan much faster and much darker, and be less likely to burn than a Skin Type II.Every tanning lamp needs just enough UVB to stimulate the skin’s melanin, and copious amounts of UVA to oxidize the melanin and turn it brown. Typically, the higher the amounts of UVB, the shorter the session and the more reddening that occurs unless exposure times are severely shortened. If you employ the lamp originally recommended for use in the equipment or an FDA-compatible replacement lamp, then little reddening should occur if you follow the recommended exposure schedule. It’s when you replace the bed’s original lamp with a higher UVB lamp or non-compatible lamp that erythema may occur.
There are different UV light wavelengths: UVB is from 280-320 nanometers; UVA2 is from 320-340nm, and UVA1 is from 340-400nm. UVB stimulates melanin production and can burn the skin if overexposed; UVA2 acts a lot like UVB, with melanin production and some pigment darkening; it is also closely associated with elastosis (photoaging, wrinkles). UVA1 penetrates deeper past the surface of the skin and is primarily responsible for pigment darkening. The newer sunlamp models focus on providing enough UVB to stimulate the melanin and aid in production of vitamin D, with plenty of UVA1, and less UVA2.
Besides the fact that I work for Wolff System, based on my personal experience, I feel our lamps are the best – providing consistent results with great color. Hopefully, Robert has found the salon that meets his criteria and employs our lamps. I wish every potential indoor tanner would take the time to research and gather information before selecting a salon.If you have a question
that you would like answered, email
sales@wolffsys.com or visit www.wolffsystem.com
