Understanding Light Can Help Your Tanning Potential



The easiest way of explaining it would be a rainbow. Most of you remember learning about the colors of the rainbow in elementary school: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  The rainbow which represents visible light stretches from red to violet. 

• Above visible red light is "infrared" light, the invisible light that gives us heat and makes up about half of all energy we receive from the sun.
• Below visible violet light is "ultraviolet" light, the invisible light that makes up about 5% of the energy we receive from the sun.
• Between red and violet is the visible light spectrum which makes up about 46% of the sun's energy.

The invisible light is what gives us UVA and UVB light. These light waves can cause the skin to tan and can be replicated with indoor tanning equipment.

• UVB us a shorter wavelength then UVA, so its waves impart its energy closer to the surface of the skin.
• UVA waves are longer then UVB, so its waves do not impart as much energy on the surface of the skin, but penetrate deeper so the energy is distributed throughout the epidermis.

So what does this all mean to someone looking to get a tan? The ultraviolet portion of outdoor sunlight is approximately 95% UVA and 5% UVB. Today's tanning beds use a carefully controlled mix of both rays to help prevent tanners from burning as easily or as quickly as they could by tanning outside and give a tanner a more natural glow.

With changes in the day and environment that 95%/5% ratio keeps changing outdoors, but indoors with professional tanning bed and staff there is much more control.

Source: International Smart Tan Network