General FAQ

Studies show that indoor tanning can help you build a base tan more quickly and effectively due to the controlled environment. Timing your sessions and exposing your skin to a consistent level of UV rays result in a more even tan in less time. Outdoor tanning lacks this consistency, as you can't control the time of day or sun availability. The controlled environment makes indoor tanning a more effective method for achieving a tan.

Wearing tanning lotion designed specifically for indoor tanning can enhance the tone of your tan. While outdoor tanning lotion should not be used indoors as it can stain tanning beds, using indoor tanning products from the salon can provide a tan with a bronze hue or a radiant glow. These products can also keep your skin hydrated and prevent it from drying out. While indoor tanning lotion is not as essential as sunscreen for outdoor tanning, it can improve your overall tanning outcome.

Yes, wearing protective eyewear is crucial for indoor tanning. Merely covering your eyes with a towel is insufficient, as UV rays from the tanning bed can still penetrate the material. Adjusting the goggles during the session can help prevent a reverse raccoon-eyed effect while ensuring eye protection.

Indoor tanning requires preparation, starting with the night before your first session. Begin by showering with warm water and a gentle, water-based soap, followed by exfoliating the skin to remove dead cells, excess oil, and impurities. This allows your skin to absorb the tanning bed's UV rays more effectively. On the day of the session, avoid wearing makeup, scented body lotion, or jewelry to the salon.

Your skin type plays a significant role in determining the frequency and duration of your indoor tanning sessions. Consult a salon professional to create a safe and personalized tanning schedule based on your skin type. Indoor tanning is a gradual process, and achieving desired results usually requires multiple sessions. Lighter skin tones require more sessions to tan gradually without burning, while darker skin tones tan easier and may need fewer visits. Understanding your skin type helps build an even tan and reduces the risk of burns.

No, outdoor products should only be used outdoors as they can create a film on the acrylic, inhibiting the tanning process instead of enhancing it. There are excellent indoor tanning products specifically designed for this purpose. Consult our tanning professional for recommended options.

To develop a great tan, it's important to tan regularly. Allowing too much time between visits can cause your tan to fade. Most people notice a change in skin color after a few initial sessions and typically achieve a good base tan within 6-10 sessions. Afterward, maintaining your tan with one or two sessions per week will keep it year-round. Melanocytes, special cells in the skin, produce melanin when stimulated by UVB rays. As these cells reach the surface, UVA rays oxidize them, resulting in a tan. Each person has a different amount of melanin, which determines the speed and darkness of the tan.

Moisturize! Well-moisturized skin tans faster and darker and retains the tan longer. Drink plenty of water and use a high-quality lotion specially formulated for tanning. Your skin constantly renews itself, and dry skin sheds its top layers quickly, leading to tan loss. Dry surface layers can block UV rays from reaching the deeper layers and tanning them. Even with moisturizing, maintaining a tanning schedule every 4 to 5 days or at least once a week is necessary, as your skin continuously produces new cells.

Only if you do a "Double Dip." For an instant tan or an extra boost, consider using our Super Sonic stand-up booth. This booth provides 36 hours of sunlight in just 6 minutes. However, it's recommended for experienced tanners who have already achieved a proper base tan.

The FDA requires a 24-hour gap between tanning sessions.

Absolutely! Tanning is a process that can take up to 24 hours to develop. You cannot "wash" away your tan unless you use a self-tanner, shave immediately, or exfoliate right after.

Yes! It is recommended to use SPF on your lips as they cannot tan.

Low-pressure units emit both UVA and UVB at a low energy level, resulting in a redder tone tan that requires more frequent maintenance. High-pressure units generate UVC, UVB, and UVA, but during a tanning session, only UVA is emitted through a sophisticated filtering system. Building a golden tan and maintaining it takes fewer sessions with high-pressure units. At Totally Tan, all of our beds use higher-pressure bronzing body bulbs with high-pressure facials, ensuring a desired bronze tan. Our level 5 units are exclusively high-pressure.

It is not recommended to tan outdoors or indoors when taking photosensitizing medication. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or our tanning consultant for a list of medications that can significantly increase the risk of overexposure.

Low-pressure units emit both UVA and UVB at a low energy level, resulting in a redder tone tan that requires more frequent maintenance. High-pressure units generate UVC, UVB, and UVA, but during a tanning session, only UVA is emitted through a sophisticated filtering system. Building a golden tan and maintaining it takes fewer sessions with high-pressure units. At Totally Tan, all of our beds use higher-pressure bronzing body bulbs with high-pressure facials, ensuring a desired bronze tan. Our level 5 units are exclusively high-pressure.

Red light therapy, also known as low-level laser light therapy, low-power laser therapy, non-thermal LED light, or soft laser therapy, employs low-wavelength red light to potentially ameliorate skin concerns and address certain health conditions. 

Red light therapy is believed to function by influencing the mitochondria, the cellular "power plants," leading to increased energy levels that enhance cellular activities like skin repair, new cell generation, and rejuvenation. This therapy targets specific cells, prompting them to absorb light wavelengths and become stimulated. In terms of skin health, its effects encompass stimulating collagen and fibroblast production, vital for skin's structure and elasticity, as well as improving blood circulation and reducing cellular inflammation.

Red light therapy is thought to:

• Improve wound healing.
• Reduce stretch marks
• Reduce wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots.
• Improve facial texture.
• Improve psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema.
• Improve scars.
• Improve sun-damaged skin
• Improve hair growth in people with androgenic alopecia
• Improve acne.

RLT is also used:

• To reduce cancer chemotherapy side effects, including oral mucositis.
• To relieve pain and inflammation associated with ankle tendonitis, rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and osteoarthritis of the knee.
• To prevent cold sores from herpes simplex virus from recurring.