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Frequently Asked
Questions
Indoor UV tanning
provides the same benefits and risks as outdoor tanning.
Both feel good and can improve your appearance; both also call
for moderation and proper skin care. Indoor tanning
however, provides a more reliable, controllable exposure of UVA
and UVB tanning rays. Each tanning bed or stand-up booth
is regulated by the Federal Drug Administration and rated for
maximum exposure time.
Two types of
light rays are emitted by the sun and UV tanning equipment that
work together to get you tan.
UV rays are
mainly browning rays that turn the melanin in your skin from
pink to brown. This reaction is the body's natural
protection from the sun. UV-A rays penetrate a little
deeper into the skin than UV-B rays, are less likely to burn
you, and take a few hours longer to produce their full result.
UVB are the
"activation rays" that stimulate your skin's melanocyte cells to
bring more melanin to the surface. UV-B rays penetrate
less deeply, provide a slightly quicker effect, and add a
natural glow to skin color.
A fine mist of
DHA (Dihydroxyacetone) is sprayed onto the skin as a
self-tanning agent. It does not produce a "real tan" by
increasing skin melanin levels, but it can create the tan
appearance by way of the development of a brown skin coloring.
The action of DHA is limited to the upper layer of the skin and
involves a reaction between DHA and skin proteins. The
development of color takes anywhere from 2-24 hours and the
intensity is dependent on the formulation concentration of
the DHA in the product.
Spray tans
generally last around a week depending on your individual body
chemistry and other factors like how often you shower, shave or
exfoliate, each of which can remove some of your "tanned" skin
cells.
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