Tropic Tan FAQ's

FAQ's

We've compiled this list of frequently asked questions and answers. Please feel free to contact us if you have a question that's not answered here.

Why indoor tanning?
Indoor tanning is in a controlled environment. Outdoors is not. The time of day, the time of the year, the weather, and environmental factors all contribute to an unpredictability of tanning and sun burning outdoors. Tanning beds are designed and our consultants are trained to provide you with enough exposure to the tanning rays to tan without burning. Outdoors this threshold is difficult to determine and is easy to misjudge. Indoors you receive a precise computer-timed session with consistent output from the tanning beds, rain or shine! Although both the sun and tanning beds produce ultraviolet light, the C wavelength is the most harmful and is filtered out by the tanning lamps. (Ultraviolet C light waves are the type that penetrates the earth through a weakened ozone layer). Ultraviolet A and B wavelengths are produced by both the sun and by tanning beds and excess exposure can be harmful so the benefit of tanning in a controlled, predictable indoor tanning environment is obvious.

Can indoor tanning cause cancer?
Excess exposure to ultraviolet light is harmful, however there is no conclusive evidence that tanning without burning is harmful or causes cancer. We recommend that fair skinned people that burn easily should not tan, and individuals with a family history of skin cancer should avoid all tanning, indoors or out.

How long will it take to establish a tan and how is it maintained?
Our tanning consultants will review the information supplied by you when you first visit to determine the bed type and exposure times suitable for you. You will generally start with a relatively short exposure time and gradually work up to increased times. On average it will take 3-7 sessions at the recommended 24-48 hour intervals to achieve a good base tan. During this time you may experience some minor skin reddening and itching. This is normal and should subside within a few days. After a base tan is established you can maintain it with regular visits. The frequency of the visits depends on your individual skin characteristics and the type of bed you use but can range from several visits a week to as few as 2 sessions a month on our highest performance beds.

How often can I tan?
The law prohibits an individual from tanning more than once in a 24-hour period. Our computers will ensure that a period of 24 hours passes before allowing an individual to tan again.

What should be worn when tanning?
That's for you to decide. The tanning rooms are completely private. Some tanners prefer a no tan line look and tan bare, and others prefer to wear bathing suits or underwear. If you're tanning a part of your body that hasn't been exposed previously and is much lighter that other parts we recommend that you cover these areas during part of the session or wear a sun block on those areas to allow them to catch up to the rest of your skin without burning. Please remove all jewelry when tanning to prevent scratching and damaging the clear acrylic surface of the tanning bed.

Must eye goggles be worn?
Yes! The law requires it. They are necessary to protect your eyes from UV light that penetrates even through closed eyelids. We provide sanitized eye goggle at no charge for your use, and we offer them for sale if you prefer to have your own.

What are skin types?
Skin types are the way individual's skin is categorized based on its reaction to ultraviolet light. Tanning consultants will consider your skin type when recommending tanning session exposure times. The skin types are as follows:

TYPE I - Always burns easily, severely, never tans. Very fair skin.
TYPE II - Burns easily, tans minimally or lightly peels. Fair skin.
TYPE III - Burns moderately and will eventually tan.
TYPE IV - Burns minimally and will tan well.
TYPE V - Always tans, rarely burns.
TYPE VI - Always tans profusely. Never burns.

Why does skin tan when exposed to ultraviolet light?
The outer most layer of skin, called the epidermis, contains cells called melanocytes. When melanocytes are exposed to Ultraviolet B light (UVB) they produce melanin. The melanin is essentially a pigment that darkens when it's exposed to Ultraviolet A light (UVA). The darkened melanin results in the tan appearance. This tanning process is the body?s natural way of protecting itself from excess Ultraviolet light.

Why can some people achieve a darker tan?
Your heredity and race determines how much melanin (pigment) your body produces and therefore your tanning potential.

Why does Tropic Tan offer different types of tanning beds?
Tanning beds perform differently just as individuals' skin tans differently. Some tanning beds produce different combinations of Ultraviolet A and B light than others and they therefore have different tanning characteristics. Some are designed more to stimulate production of the melanin pigment in your skin and others may be more inclined to tan the pigment. The different types all play important roles but the type bed best for you depends on your existing tan at any given point in time, your skin type, and your individual results with each particular tanning bed type. As your tan develops you may find that better results are then achieved by switching to a different bed type. This is a very individualized process and Tropic Tan offers you a variety of bed types so that you can always have available what works best for you.

Are lotions necessary when tanning indoors?
No, but they can certainly enhance the results. Different lotions are formulated with a variety of ingredients and each product is unique, however they generally include skin nutrients and components to encourage the skin's production of melanin (pigment) and also often function as moisturizers to maintain the skin's healthy appearance and feel. Moisturizers are recognized as the single most important factor in maintaining your skin's tanning potential and to prevent the drying that often occurs with exposure to Ultraviolet light. The products we carry are specifically designed for indoor tanning. Our tanning consultants can recommend products we carry that should work best for you.
You should never wear oil in a tanning bed as the tanning results can be undesirable and the clear acrylic surface of the tanning bed can be damaged.

How often does Tropic Tan change its tanning lamps and why does it matter?
A staff person that specializes in maintaining the equipment at all the locations regularly tests the tanning lamps to ensure their proper performance. The computer system that controls the tanning beds also monitors the tanning lamp life continuously. Tanning lamps are usually rated to have a useful life of a certain number of hours (1000 is normal). The performance of the lamps gradually decreases over their useful life. Tropic Tan doesn't wait for the useful life to end but instead changes lamps long before according to strict performance standards it has established. Tanning lamps that some tanning centers would continue to use would be long since replaced by Tropic Tan.

What is high-pressure tanning?
High pressure tanning is the latest tanning technology. Rather than using phosphor coated tube lamps, high pressure tanning beds use small high energy ultraviolet light quartz lamps mounted behind expensive filter glass that allows only a very specific wavelength of Ultraviolet light to pass through to the tanner. High pressure beds produce almost 100% Ultraviolet A which is the primary tanning light ray. This light does not pose the same burning potential as the B light rays but penetrates deeper into the skin to tan the melanin. High pressure tanning results in a much faster, darker, and longer lasting tan and far fewer sessions are needed to maintain the tan. Our UltraSun Turbo tanning beds are high-pressure units.

Are there times that a person shouldn?t tan?
Yes. Three times in particular.

Pregnant women should not tan as the body chemistry is undergoing changes and tanning results are unpredictable.
If you've already tanned outside or indoors on a given day.
If you are on certain types of medications. Certain medicines are photosensitive and can cause you to burn or have unpredictable skin discolorations. Medication lists are available for you to review at each of our locations. If uncertain you should always ask your physician or pharmacist.