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Tanning bed lamps or suntan lamps are used in
every tanning bed. When buying new or used tanning beds, look at the
lamps and make sure they meet the FDA guidelines for safety in tanning
bed use.
Also consider access and be sure that the bulbs in the
lamps are easy to change. For both convenience and savings, it’s
important to be able to easily perform the necessary maintenance on a
home tanning bed yourself.
The lamps used in conventional and high-pressure beds are different.
When you buy lamps, be sure to choose the right ones for your type of
tanning bed. They cannot be interchanged. If you purchase replacement
bulbs on the Internet, first carefully check the make and model of your
bed. You want to buy the lamps that are made for the type of bed you
have.
High-pressure tanning beds use quartz lamps in a variety of sizes. The
bulbs for these beds contain gases under a pressure that is slightly
higher than atmospheric pressure. The lamps are located in the top of
the bed, and you are tanned only from above. After tanning one side of
your body for 10 to 12 minutes, you roll over and tan the other side.
The surface of high-pressure beds is much more comfortable than the
surface of a conventional tanning bed. The greatest advantage of a
high-pressure bed over a conventional bed is that you tan faster and
therefore have to spend less time in the bed. You can get a great tan in
about three weeks with three to five sessions a week.
Using a conventional bed, it takes at least a month to achieve the same
level of color. Maintaining your tan is easier, too, with a
high-pressure bed. You only need two or three sessions each month to
keep your tan, compared with two to three sessions a week with a
conventional bed. Also, the bulbs emit UVA rays only, not UVB rays,
which can cause burning.
Conventional tanning bed lamps use long, tube-like lamps that resemble
fluorescent tubes. The lamps are located on both the top and bottom of
the bed, and all areas of the body are tanned at the same time. You
don’t have to turn over or change your position during the tanning
session. The bulbs emit both UVA and UVB rays in various levels,
although some emit mostly UVA rays with a small amount of UVB rays. UVA
rays cause the skin to age and UVB rays cause sunburn if you get too
much exposure. Before replacing bulbs, you must determine which type of
rays your lamps emit and buy comparable bulbs.
You’ll also want to buy the right kind of tanning lotion for the type of
tanning bed you have. Some tanning lotions are better for one type of
bed or the other. If you go to a tanning salon, the owner can help you
choose the right lotion for the bed you are using as well as for your
skin type. Regardless of the type of bed you are using, you should
always apply a skin lotion to nourish your skin and help you tan faster.
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