Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutTwitterGoogle+LinkedInPinterestPosted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. As a teen, Casie VanderLind had a winter after-school routine: She would work out, go to cheerleading practice, and, two to four times a week, head home to use the tanning bed in her family’s basement.“In my eyes at that time, it was part of a healthy lifestyle, says VanderLind, now a 28-year-old small business owner in Columbus, Ohio. “We just weren’t aware of how bad it was for you.”VanderLind remembered those afternoons all too well when, at 23, she was diagnosed with melanoma — a potentially life-threatening skin cancer that research now firmly links with both indoor and outdoor tanning. VanderLind, who needed surgery and chemotherapy, says her family got rid of their tanning bed shortly after her diagnosis.But unknown numbers of people continue to use tanning beds in private homes. And some health experts worry home tanners may face even greater risks than salon tanners.“
This is a radiation-emitting device,” says Sherry Pagoto, a professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts. “And radiation can be a very dangerous thing.”The Federal Trade Commission highlighted the danger in announcing recent refunds of $2.59 million to 1,367 consumers who bought home tanning beds from alternative medicine promoter Joseph Mercola. Mercola agreed to pay the refunds and leave the tanning bed business after the FTC said his companies made “false and unsupported claims that their indoor tanning systems are safe, that they don’t increase the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, and that they can reduce wrinkles.”The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Surgeon General say that the ultraviolet light from indoor tanning devices can cause skin cancer, wrinkles, eye damage and immune suppression.But consumers still can buy new tanning beds at manufacturers’ websites and on Amazon, at prices ranging from about $1,200 to $4,000.
Used beds can be found at much lower prices on sites such as Craigslist and eBay.Not much research has been done on indoor home tanning, but in 2016, Pagoto and her colleagues published a survey that shed some light on the practice. They found that 27% of adults who have ever tanned indoors have tanned in private homes, and that regular home tanners tan more often than others. Home tanners also show more signs of “tanning addiction,” meaning “they feel highly compelled to tan” Pagoto says.Many also share or sell access to their tanning beds, Pagoto says. “One person told me they have tanning parties. Their high school daughter will have friends over and each of them take a turn in the tanning bed. Another person had a tanning bed in their garage, and would let people come over, put money in their mailbox and use it.”Pagoto would like to see more restrictions on salon tanning, including a nationwide ban for minors, which has been proposed but not finalized by the FDA.
But she says, “at least tanning salons are required to have their beds inspected,” something home tanners rarely do.“If you bring one of these device into your home, you basically have no restrictions,” says Tim Turnham, past executive director of the non-profit Melanoma Research Foundation. “You don’t have someone telling you when to stop.”And if you buy a used bed online, “you don’t know what you are getting,” says New York City dermatologist Deborah Sarnoff. She is president of The Skin Cancer Foundation, a non-profit group that gets funding from sunscreen makers.Consumers should buy new and used beds only from manufacturers or “reputable dealers,” says John Overstreet, executive director of the Indoor Tanning Association, a group representing tanning bed manufacturers, distributors and salons.Beds sold for home use must come with the same warning labels and instructions that come with commercial beds, Overstreet says. (One FDA-mandated warning label says the beds are not for use by minors).
Professional sellers also can answer questions on use and service, he says.But it is better for consumers to come to salons, where staffers teach “the golden rule of smart tanning, which is “don’t ever get sunburned,” says Joseph Levy, scientific adviser to the American Suntanning Association, which represents salon owners. He says those hoping to further regulate or shut down salons are “risking driving people to home use, apartments and gyms,” where burning might be more likely.Sarnoff says tanning, at home or in a salon, inside or outside “is all bad” and that avoiding sunburn does not make it safe.Many consumers may be getting that message. Indoor tanning is in decline, according to the CDC. Overstreet says sales of home units are falling. And Levy’s group says more than 10,000 of 18,000 tanning salons operating in 2010 have closed. The group blames a 10% federal “tanning tax” imposed on salon fees as part of the Affordable Care Act, but health advocates cite other factors, including changing consumer attitudes.“
I do believe that we are seeing signs of a changing culture about tanning,” Turnham says.If you do decide to use a tanning bed, the FDA says you should know: ►Failure to wear protective eye goggles can lead to short- and long-term eye injury.►Long exposures can lead to burning, which you might not notice until many hours later.►People with skin that burns easily and does not tan should never use indoor tanning devicesThese are basic tips to make changing your lamps easier. There is no way to cover every situation, but our goal is to help keep you from making mistakes when replacing the lamps in your home tanning bed. Get a pen and paper before you shop - Write down your beds model name/number (ie: SunMaster 24KCT, SunQuest Pro 16SE, etc.) at the very least, and getting the names and numbers written on the lamps can also be handy, particularly for older beds. THEN call us at 1-800-274-1744 or shop online using one of our guides, the Lamp Wizard, or other online help we have created just for home tanning bed owners.
This will insure we get you the right lamps the first time, and can show you the maximum options for your tanning bed. SunQuest / SunVision acrylic removal - Do not take the ends off your tanning bed to remove these acrylics (common mistake). Instead, remove the colored plastic strips on the both long sides of each acrylic. A small flat blade screw driver is often handy. Handle with care, as they can become somewhat brittle with age. Once removed, lift the acrylic slightly and roll out the front. It is helpful to have two people when doing this. Don't re-install your acrylics yet... - Once you have installed your new lamps, and BEFORE you re-install the acrylics, test the new lamps by turning the bed on. (Use eyewear when doing this) If you twisted the lamp to much, or there is a problem with the lamp, this will allow you to quickly deal with the problem at hand without having to do all the extra work of removing the acrylic again. Once you see the lamps all work perfectly fine, then replace the acrylic.
Recondition your acrylics - This is often overlooked because people think their acrylics don't need it. "They look perfectly clear to me" is often said, but the fact is that an acrylic will develop a film that you can't see, and while it won't block visible light, it does block UV. So even the clearest looking acrylics can be blocking 20%-40% of the UV that the lamp is producing. It wastes electricity and your time. You can buy Novus #2 for this purpose for less than $7, or buy the entire Tanning Bed Rebuild Kit with Novus #1, #2, #3, daily cleaner concentrate and eyewear for less than $30. The most difficult part of reconditioning your tanning bed is taking it apart, and since you already have to do that to replace the lamps, it just makes sense to go ahead and recondition the acrylics. The manufacturer recommends you do this every 1-2 years for home tanning beds. Clean your reflectors, the new lamps, and the cooling fans - Since you are already taking your bed apart, clean everything inside for maximum performance.
UV is incredibly easy to block, and cleaning dusty reflectors is a cheap, easy way to boost performance. Cleaning the new lamps also a good idea as they can get a thin powder coating on them from the manufacturing process. While you should never use glass cleaner on your acrylic, it is fine to use on the new lamps and the reflectors. Use some caution, as reflectors often have sharp edges. Get help - Having a second person handy when you are replacing the lamps is a good idea. It can keep you from accidentally bending or breaking an expensive acrylic. None of the parts of the bed are very heavy, but large acrylics are difficult to handle sometimes, and while a second pair of hands isn't required for most tanning beds, it will likely come in handy. Get bed cleaner - If you are not buying the rebuild kit, make sure you have enough bed cleaner or order a fresh bottle when you get your lamps. Do NOT ever clean your bed with Windex, glass cleaners, chlorine/Clorox, vinegar or other household cleaners.