Sunday, 30 August 2009

Tanning Bed Lamps


By Gail Jones

Tanning bed bulbs are used in every sun bed or suntan lamp on the market. When you are buying a new or especially a used suntan bed, take a good look at the bulbs. Ensure that they are proper tanning lamps and meet the FDA guidelines for health and safety. You should also consider how easy it is to get at the lamps. Make sure that the bulbs are easy to change when necessary. It is quite important and a lot cheaper if you can perform such simple maintenance yourself, if you have a home sun bed.

There are different kinds of bulbs used in conventional and high pressure beds. Make sure you buy the right tanning bed bulbs for your bed, because they are not interchangeable. If you are ordering replacement bulbs on the Internet, check the make and model of your existing bed carefully. Make sure that the bulbs you are buying are suitable for your bed.

High Pressure Tanning Bulbs: high pressure beds have quartz-tube lamps in a multitude of sizes. The gases used in these bulbs are pressurized to slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. The bulbs in these beds are located in the hood of the bed, so that you tan only from above. When you have tanned the skin on one side of your body for about 10-12 minutes, you turn over and tan the other side. The flat bed of these devices is a great deal more comfortable than a regular sun bed.

The biggest benefit of these bulbs is the amount of time you have to spend on the tanning bed. Because you tan faster, you need to spend less time in the salon, which means it works out cheaper. You can get the level of tan you want in about three weeks of three to five sessions each week. However, with a conventional bed, it would take you at least a month to acquire the same level of colour. Maintaining your tan is much easier too. You only need two or three sessions a month to maintain the colour, compared with four times that many sessions on a low pressure bed. Many of these lamps produce UVA rays only, not UVB rays which cause burning.

Conventional Sun Bed Bulbs: Conventional, or low pressure beds use long tube lamps that resemble household fluorescent tubes. The lamps are situated above and below the bed of the sun bed, which means that all areas are tanned at the same time, without the need to change positions during the session.

Low pressure beds use UVA and UVB rays in varying mixes. Some use both rays and others emit mostly UVA with some UVB rays. UVA rays are responsible for the (premature) ageing effects on the skin and UVB rays are the burning rays that produce skin burn when you are outside in the sun. It is very important to determine which sort of rays your tan bed's bulbs emit. You must ensure you replace your existing bulbs with the same new lamps after about 1,000 hours of use.

Something else to think about when selecting the type of bed you use at home or in the salon, is the tanning bed lotion you will use. Different lotions suit different sorts of beds. The owner of your tanning salon will be able to help you select a lotion that will be best for the bed you are using and your skin type. Regardless of the bed you use, you ought to definitely always use a lotion or a cream, because they will nourish your skin and help you get a Hollywood tan more quickly.

About the Author:


You like it? Share it!


0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home