Shimmer Salons

Taking our initial tanning advice into considering will allow you to attain your prime skin colour whilst guaranteeing your skin is not over exposed - therefore achieving your tan in the safest and healthiest manner.

• It is essential to match your tanning session times with your skin's tanning ability. For example: if a person is fair-skinned or has not used a tanning bed for a while their sunbed sessions should be limited - the melanin in peoples' skin is what allows skin to tan, therefore the higher the melanin level the less risk there is for people, such as developing cancer. Therefore tanning session timings must be carefully considered. Overexposure to UV can actually cause depletion of melanin levels and make it more difficult to tan in future sessions so do not over exceed tanning session timings.
  

• Skin should be moisturised prior to using a tanning bed. Once the tanning session is completed, moisturiser should be re-applied in order to prevent skin drying out due to the exposure from the UV light. If the skin does burn, moisturiser should be applied regularly and the skin should not be exposed to indoor or outdoor UV light until the redness has subsided.
  

• A minimum of 24 hours should be allocated between each tanning session (both indoor and outdoor tanning). Medical standards advise waiting 48 hours, because this is how long the skin takes to create melanin and to tan.
  

• Caution should be taken when tanning nude. Sensitive areas that are not often exposed to UV light, such as underarms, buttocks and genitalia. These areas have a higher possibility of burning when exposed to the same UV light as other areas of the skin - gradual tanning sessions are recommended (i.e. covering these areas half way through your principal tanning sessions). Lips are also a sensitive area and using a UV protective lip balm is advised.
  

• Sunbed lotion is essential when tanning, although it does not prevent all risks linked with using tanning beds it is wiser to have some protection. The creams can contain Tyrosine which can help your body create more melanin, it also moisturises your skin to prevent dryness therefore making your tan last longer - it is also important that the lotion is one specifically designed for sunbed use.
  

• Using tanning goggles is paramount every tanning session because the UV light can penetrate the eyelids and damage the eyes - cataracts and cornea damage are two of the complications that can arise from not using protective eyewear.
  

• If you are under 18 years of age sunbeds are not permitted - bringing I.D. into the salon is compulsory!