Many people love the look of a beautiful, golden tan. That sun-kissed glow can look healthy and easygoing, causing your wardrobe colors to pop and adding a fun kick to your overall look. The days of needing to spend hours lying in the sun to achieve the perfect tan are long gone. You can just head off to the nearest tanning booth and spend a few minutes under the tanning bed lamps, getting the same amount of color an afternoon at the beach would give you. We'll look at the two basic types of tanning beds, some tanning bed tips, tanning bed prices and a few tanning bed products to help you get the best possible indoor tan.
Two Common Types of Tanning Beds
You can choose from two basic types of tanning beds: the clamshell bed and the stand-up bed. The clamshell or capsule-type bed is the most common tanning bed. You lie down on the clamshell bed and pull the lid down so it is close to the top of your body.
The other type of tanning booth is the stand up booth. The stand up booth allows you to stand vertically and just walk into the booth. Many people prefer the stand up booth for comfort and the ability to move so you can expose all of your body to the tanning bed lamps. Many people also appreciate stand up booths because the only part of your body that comes into physical contact with the booth is your feet, and you can wear sandals or booties, if you prefer. Stand up booths are also faster than traditional beds. You can get the same amount of tanning progress in half the time of a bed.
Both of these tanning booths work in the same way. They interior surfaces of the tanning booth are made of Plexiglas, and bright UVA or UVB lamps shine their ultraviolet rays through the Plexiglas onto your skin, mimicking the work of the sun. The rays cause your skin to release melanin, which produces the tan color on your skin. The intensity of tanning bed lamps can vary widely, even within the same salon. Newer bulbs are hottest, so you want to find out if the bulbs are new so you can cut back on your tanning time and avoid burning.
Tanning Bed Tips for Successful Indoor Tanning
Tanning Bed Prices
Tanning bed prices are generally sold in packages of minutes. Usually, the more minutes you buy at one time, the more you can save. You can use your minutes however you choose: for example, 7 minutes one time and 10 minutes another. Be sure to find out if the minutes have an expiration date. Tanning bed prices vary, so shop around before you commit. If you live in a larger city, you can usually find a special, such as 100 minutes for $10. You can also purchase minutes per session, although these prices are going to be higher than buying a quantity of tanning bed minutes. Finally, some salons will offer unlimited tanning minutes for a monthly price. This type of package will run anywhere from $30 to $50 per month and up.
Tanning Bed Products
Tanning salons will have products available for purchase that you can use to help achieve and maintain that beautiful tan. The first rule of thumb is you shouldn't use tanning products intended for outdoor tanning in a tanning bed. Tanning beds emit more UV rays than the sun, and outdoor products can actually cause you to burn rather than tan. Most tanning bed products contain tyrosine, an amino acid that helps the body produce melanin, which gives the color to your skin. Tyrosine can help you tan faster and maintain your tan longer. Tanning bed products should contain a moisturizer to keep your tan from flaking off with dry skin cells. Many products contain Vitamin E, which can help clear your pores, and copper, which can help fade scars and other marks on the skin.
Expect to pay $10 and up for tanning bed products. Some of these creams and lotions can be quite expensive, so shop around. Remember, more expensive doesn't necessarily mean better when it comes to tanning bed products. You will pay more for fragrance, creaminess of the lotion, brand name and packaging as well as any tan-enhancing ingredients in the lotion. You can also find tanning bed products in outlets other than a tanning salon and online. Look for sales and bulk buying discounts to save money, especially if you like the higher-priced brands.
Tanning beds pose a certain amount of risk, but, if you follow these tanning bed tips, always check out the tanning bed lamps and use appropriate tanning bed products, you can minimize these risks and still get a golden tan.
 | The next time you think about bronzing your bod under the bulbs, you should consider the facts about tanning bed dangers and share them with your circle of friends. |
 | You'll never get a streaky spray-on tan if you follow this advice. |
Tanning beds do more than just give you a great tan year round. These are a great source of relaxation. With my skin complexion I am only able to do this for 4-5 minutes a day. But I love those few minutes of relaxation. |
If you are like so many of the people out there who dread that first visit to the ever popular tanning bed salon, you probably have all kinds of questions that you are embarrassed to ask anyone about. |
Some think that the phrases tanning bed and safety do not belong in the same sentence but let's face it, most of us will use a tanning bed at some point so why not try to use it as safely as possible. |
