Will burning first allow a faster, darker, and overall better tan?

The Golden Rule of responsible tanning is: Don't ever sunburn.

Many people FALSELY assume that a sunburn will eventaully "fade" into a tan. Sunburn is associated with permanent skin damage !! Sunburn is an injury to your skin. That's why it hurts so bad ! Never ! Never ! burn youself  intentionally.

If you get sunburns, what you are really getting is cellular damage from ultraviolet radiation.

The body responds to sunburn damage by increasing the blood flow to the capillary bed of the dermis in order to bring in new cells to repair the damage. The extra blood in the capillaries causes the redness - if you press on sunburned skin it will turn white and then return to red as the capillaries refill.

North Shore Sun will not let you tan if you are sunburned.

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Is indoor tanning the same as tanning outside in the sun?

When you tan at an indoor tanning facility, your skin produces a tan the same way it does when you lay out in the sun: through ultraviolet (UV) light.

 There is one important difference, when you are out in the sun, you cannot control the amount of UV light you are exposed to, because it is affected by changes in the atmosphere.

 Indoor tanning is one way to regulate the amount of UV light you are exposed to, because it is a controlled environment. You can gradually increase your exposure time to make sure you don't get a sunburn, which is harmful to the skin.

If I never can get a tan outside because I burn, can I get a tan indoors?

First, if you are burning because you stay outdoors for too long trying to tan STOP, go slowly.

If you are fair skin, blonde (naturally) red headed and light color eye, you may not have enough melanin in your body to tan. This is when North Shore Sun will recommend that you use our state of the art Cabana Mist. You can get a beautiful Spray Tan and look great all year long.

If it takes you a while to get a tan outside, it may be easier for you to get the color you want (brown instead of red) by tanning indoors. You would need to start with a short exposure time, and increase it very gradually.

However, if you NEVER tan from the sun, you may not get tan from tanning lamps, since they emit the very same tanning rays as the sun does.

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What are the differences between types of beds?

Tanning beds differ in the amount of UVB and UVA rays emitted. Low-pressure, medium-pressure and high-pressure tanning beds are typically found at most tanning salons. Low-pressure beds release higher levels of UVB rays, which are known to burn the skin, and lower levels of UVA rays. Medium-pressure tanning beds feature a higher intensity bulb than a low-pressure bed and emit fewer UVB rays. High-pressure tanning beds release higher amounts of UVA rays, penetrating deeper into the skin, and lower amounts of UVB, therefore are less damaging to the skin than low-pressure beds.

The main benefit of tanning beds is you tan your skin in a short amount of time no matter what the weather is outside. High-pressure tanning beds, in particular, emit the most UVA rays which penetrate the skin deeper offering a longer-lasting tan. Tanning beds have been known to produce other positive effects. Tanning beds are sometimes used to treat acne, muscle pain, and Seasonal Affective Disorder otherwise known as SAD.

How do tanning beds work?

Don't try to rush your tan. A tan should be obtained gradually. Gradaully increase your exposure times. Always wear protective eyewear, ultraviolet light will penetrate the eyelids.

Everone has melanin in their skin naturally. North Shore Sun's Level 1 help you to produce melanin. You have to have melanin in order to turn brown.

North Shore Sun's Level 2 will produce some melanin and also browns the melanin you have produced in Level 1 or  what you have naturally.

North Shore Sun's Level 3 is a bronzer and will bronze the melanin, the Level 3's do not produce melanin.

Tanning beds basically imitate the sun. The sun emits three kinds of UV rays (the ones that make you tan). UV-C has the shortest wavelength of the three, and is also the most harmful.

The sun emits UV-C light, but then it's absorbed by the ozone layer and pollution. 

Tanning Lamps  filter out this type of UV light. UV-B, the middle wavelength, starts the tanning process, but overexposure can cause sunburn. UV-A has the longest wavelength, and it completes the tanning process. Tanning lamps use the best ratio of UV-B and UV-A light to provide optimal tanning results, with a lowered risk of overexposure.

How does the Cabana Mist UV-Free tanning booth work?

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 6 – 8 hours and the intensity is dependent on the formulation concentration of the DHA in the product. Most first-time customers are amazed at how natural and attractive the resulting tan is. Spray tans generally last around 7-8 days 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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Does tanning lotion really work?

Properly moisturized skin tans much eaiser.

Moisturizing is extremely important to you tanning process. Your skin cells are standing up as much as 45 degrees and are actually rreflecting the UV rays. Using a lot of moisturizing lotion will help these cells lay down and become more translucent, therefore more receptive to UV rays.

North Shore Sun has various lotions to choose from. Our trained employees can recommend the right lotion for you to obtain the best tan ever.

You don't need to wear an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) lotion when you tan indoors because these lotions, by nature, are designed to allow you to spend a longer time in the sun. For example, an SPF 10 would allow you to stay in the sun 10 times longer than you normally could.

 Since you are controlling your exposure time when tanning indoors, you don't need to use an SPF.

 You should also avoid using outdoor oils when you tan indoors. These oils will make the acrylic dirty and prevent you from tanning.

What kind of tanning lotion works best?

Obsidian - Enriched 30X Long Wear Bronzing MatrixTM combines unparalleled bronzing power with stamina enhancing potency for a long lasting, gorgeous glow. Fragrance: Caribbean Mist

Celebutante™ - Rich Maqui Berry Fragrance Famously Rich 19 (XIX) Must Have™ Bronzing Technology enraptures skin with long-lasting, spellbinding color

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