Tanning Bed Levels
Regardless of the studies that have shown that excessive tanning can lead to skin cancer, consumers tan at an unprecedented rate. What many tanners don’t understand, however, is that there are tanning bed levels. These tanning bed levels determine a number of things – including how fast and how dark you will tan, and how safe or unsafe your tanning sessions are.
Tanning beds range from level one to level five. Level one beds typically offer the fastest and darkest tans, while level five beds offer slower tanning. It is important to understand what level of bed you need, for the maximum protection.
If you are just starting out, you need to start in a level five bed. These beds have lower wattage lamps, and the tanning sessions start at fifteen to twenty minutes, and gradually build up to about thirty minutes. This will give you a nice base tan to build on. For many people, the base tan is enough – they don’t want to risk over exposure, but they don’t want to be ghost white either!
Once you have a nice base tan, you are ready to move up to a higher level bed. You do not have to go to a level four bed – you can skip ahead to a level two or three bed, but use caution. Regardless of what people might tell you, you can get sunburned in a tanning bed! When you move up to a new level, only tan for fifteen minutes the first few times, then work up to twenty minutes per session, then twenty five minutes, then thirty minutes. Keep in mind, however, that some beds only require twenty minute sessions, and you should never exceed this!
Before crawling into a tanning bed at your local salon, ask the operator about the tanning bed levels, and make sure that you are using the right level for your tanning session. If the operator doesn’t know what you are talking about, you need to find a new salon – don’t use the bed!
