Residential Tanning Bed - pros and cons

A glowing tan is accepted by many people as an attractive sign of good health and, sometimes, youth. Those who seek to improve their appearance by acquiring and maintaining a tan are among the majority.

Many people plan their vacations around beaches for the sake of tanning and get to the salon every week – sometimes more than once to use the tanning beds. For these people, a residential tanning bed might make sense.

Residential home tanning bed pros

Exposure to ultraviolet rays carries with it benefits and dangers. The dangers are well-known: premature skin aging, dry skin and skin cancer. The benefits include the aforesaid glowing tan, increased amounts of vitamin D, lowered risk of seasonal affective disorder, decreased symptoms of psoriasis and eczema and increased endorphins which make one feel happier. Some also benefit from the infrared light which can decrease some deep muscle pain.

Those who use salon tanning beds frequently make wish to make the change to a residential tanning bed. Most people with a residential tanning bed buy them because of sanitation concerns and cost. The price of the residential tanning bed has become more affordable – in the $2000 to $3000 range – and depending on the frequency of salon use and the cost, it can be money saving over the course of a few years.

Which tanning beds are better home or salon beds?

The residential tanning bed is smaller and has fewer lamps than the salon version. They work the same way as the professional ones. Ultraviolet light is made by the lamps and acts the same way as sunlight. Professional tanning beds use either all-UVA rays or mostly UVA with some UVB rays. UVB rays are considered to be more dangerous but are the rays that cause melanin to be made in the skin cells. The UVA rays cause the melanin to be stimulated and oxidized to create the tan.

Dangers of using a residential tanning bed

The owner of a residential tanning bed should be aware of the dangers of tanning. While proponents believe that a tan from a residential tanning bed can protect the skin from exposure to sunlight, most medical researchers agree that the tanning bed tan is just superficial and offers no protection. The use of a residential tanning bed should not encourage prolonged exposure to the sun.

Don't use your home tanning bed too often

Regular use of a residential tanning bed should be mentioned to the personal physician who can monitor any possible skin damage. Some doctors who feel that exposure to UV light is damaging, are becoming aware of a tendency to tan too often. They are watching for the possibility of over tanning to become an addiction. Possibly because of the endorphins created by UV light, some people feel anxious when their tanning time is shortened. With the possible dangers in mind, use of a residential tanning bed might be beneficial.