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General Tanning Information

This year the American Cancer Society and the Canadian Cancer Society joined health officials in Australia in finally recognizing that individuals need some ultraviolet light exposure in order to be healthy, and that sun avoidance may be contributing to vitamin D deficiency.

UVA and UVB light waves cause skin to tan.

The ultraviolet portion of outdoor sunlight is approximately 95 percent UVA and 5 percent UVB, although atmospheric, seasonal and geographic variables change that ratio each time you step outside.

UVB is the portion of sunlight responsible for natural Vitamin D production in the body, it is also more intense than UVA light. Being more intense, UVB is significantly more effective at causing a sunburn than UVA.

UVB is more efficient at signaling melanocytes in your skin to begin producing more melanin.

UVA is more efficient at oxidizing the melanin your skin has already produced, turning it brown.

What is sometimes called “damage” to the skin from non-burning UV exposure is actually just the skin’s way of protecting itself from sunburn. If your body can develop a tan, doing so is natural. It is what your body is designed to do. It is one of the ways your body protects itself.

Saying that UV light damages the skin, and therefore you should avoid UV light, is like saying that water causes drowning, and therefore you should avoid water. Just like water, we need UV light to live. So calling UV exposure “damage” is an oversimplification that misrepresents what your body as a whole is designed to do.

The sum of research conducted to date indicates that repeated overexposure and sun burning are the primary sun-related factors responsible for an increased risk of permanent skin damage. That’s why the prevention of sunburn and overexposure are so important.

© 2006 the International Smart Tan Network

The First Time You Visit Our Salon

1. You will fill out a client form and you will be skin typed.

2. If you are UNDER 16 years old you will be required to bring in a parent your first time to provide written consent.

3. A recommendation will be made on the most appropriate equipment, exposure time and package options for you based on the information you provide in your client form.

4. A tour of the salon will be provided for those interested.

5. Any questions will be answered in a knowledgeable and professional manner.

Q: I keep hearing about sunlight and Vitamin D, what is everyone talking about?

A: "Vitamins are substances that the body needs but cannot make entirely on its own. Although vitamin D can be found in oily fish, such as salmon, it is most commonly obtained by the body through exposure to sunlight; as the sun's rays hit the skin, the body converts a compound similar to cholesterol into vitamin D.

The body uses this vitamin D to maintain a healthy level of calcium in the blood and for proper bone health throughout life, according to Dr. Michael Holick, a vitamin D expert at Boston University Medical Center.

In the past 20 years, research has also suggested that vitamin D may play other roles within the body.

" 'We now recognize that every tissue and cell in the body [can use] vitamin D," Holick said. "Vitamin D tells cells to keep their growth in check and helps keep them from becoming cancerous.' "

- Taken from ABC News article

Please also visit the following websites that go into depth about the benefits of tanning indoors.

http://www.tanningtruth.com

http://www.tanresponsibly.com

http://www.tanningfacts.com