How Should You Choose Your Tanning Bulbs?
When shopping around for tanning bulbs for the first time, you may find yourself overwhelmed by some terminologies. UVA? UVB? What's the difference? Avoid the headache by reading this short primer.
Different tanning bulbs produce different kinds of light. 100% UVA bulbs don't produce the burning sensation that is sometimes experienced by a person who opts to undergo tanning in a high-pressure bed. "Pressure" is a measurestick for how strong a tanning light is. Tanning beds that claim to produce high-pressure light usually mean they are fitted with bulbs that emit slightly less UVA light and more UVB or UVC light. Bulbs that claim they are low-pressure would be emitting more UVA light than any other kind.
UVC is considered the strongest type of light. It's found most often in germicidal lamps, which are usually used to purify water... but it is too strong for a lot of other uses. It's especially too strong for tanning, because it damages human skin! For this reason, high-pressure tanning lamps are usually fitted with a separate filter that weeds out UVC light. This ensures that the skin is protected.
Tanning bed bulbs usually don't emit pure UVA light; more often than not, there is also UVB light mixed in. The amount of UVB and UVA light available in a bulb are measured by percentage. Here's the tricky part: in the United States, the percentage of a lamp has to do with the ratio of UVA to UVB light present. A lamp that claims to be 5% usually means it's 5% UVB and 95% UVA, but this is not always the formula used by the manufacturer. It may in fact be stronger than a 6.5% lamp. For maximum safety, make it a point to be aware exactly how much UVB, UVA or UVC light is produced by the bulb for your tanning bed.
But some tanning bulbs don't produce both UVA and UVB light - purchasing either kind would depend on the kind of tan you want to receive, as well as the kind of bulbs supported by your ballast. Some types of bulbs are not compatible with some types of ballasts.
