Tanning Beds

Tanning beds and tanning booths use a combination of artificially created Ultraviolet-A  (UVA) and Ultraviolet-B (UVB) light to create an attractive golden tan. Basically, we’re talking about specialty light bulbs that manage to turn the naturally pigmented top layer of skin into bronzed or tanned color.

The history of indoor tanning and the tanning bed dates back to the early 1970's when a German scientist named Friedrich Wolff decided to use artificially produced UV light to study athletes and how they might benefit from more exposure to sunlight. During his studies, he noticed an interesting side effect on the athletes - the golden glow of a healthy tan. And tanned skin at that time was seen as a fashion statement, so Wolff used his scientific knowledge to create the first indoor tanning beds - and a new industry was born.

Tanning equipment since that time has evolved in massive proportions, but not before a few hurdles were encountered. In the US, early indoor tanning beds and tanning booths were not as well made, and the technology behind them was not as well researched as those in Europe. The early American indoor tanning beds emitted high levels of UVB light. UVB light jump-starts the skin's production of melanin, the substance which creates a tan, but uncontrolled, it can also cause sunburn and other skin disorders. The early popularity of the high-UVB beds saw a negative stigma being attached to the whole tanning bed industry, and it wasn’t until the introduction of beds that used lamps with higher percentages of UVA that the stigma was diluted.

UVA light beds could now provide tans with a decreased risk of sunburn. Once that fact was established, the tanning equipment industry quickly changed the standard lamps to include higher percentages of UVA than UVB.
This change in focus from UVB-only to a combination of UVA and UVB led us to the tanning beds we see today.

Users of the modern bed, providing they follow simple instructions, and exhibit sensible use, can benefit from a healthy tan with minimal risk of sun burn or skin damage.  Today's beds which are still based on the 30+ year old discoveries by Friedrich Wolff, offer people a comfortable, efficient way to get a great a tan, without the burn and discomfort of outdoor natural sun tanning.

Furthermore, the indoor tanning industry now provides a wide variety of choice. Users can opt between tanning beds and tanning booths. They can choose between buying a home tanning bed or visiting a tanning salon, and finally, there is a massive variety of suntan enhancement lotions and potions that are aimed at keeping skin moisturized and supple, while also claiming to increase the effectiveness of tanning bed sessions.