Salon West - Skin Types

The color of you skin is determined by the amount of melanin it contains. This substance called melanin protects the skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays. When the ultraviolet radiation from the sun hits your skin, it stimulates cells known as melanocytes, which make the brown pigment called melanin. The melanocytes respond to the sun by making even more melanin to protect your skin from the sun. The melanin acts sort of like a barrier for the skin's cells and can give people the brown tint that is a suntan.

Learn Your Skin Type

Before using any tanning bed, learn your "skin type". By knowing your skin type, you and your Salon West certified tanning consultant can determine the best tanning schedule for you. There are six distinct skin types. Read below to learn more about each of the six skin types, and the characteristics of each. Most people fall into one the categories highlighted in yellow.

Type	Skin Reaction	Examples
1	Tans little or not at all, always burns easily and severely, then peels.	People most often with fair skin, blue or green eyes, freckles, white unexposed skin.
2	Usually buns easily and severely (painful burn); tans minimally and lightly; also peels.	People with fair skin, blue or hazel eyes, blonde or red hair, white unexposed skin.
3	Burns moderately, gains average tan.	Average Caucasian, white unexposed skin.
4	Burns minimally, tans easily and above average with each exposure, exhibits IPD (Immediate Pigment Darkening) reaction.	People with light or brown skin, dark brown hair, dark eyes, unexposed skin and is white or light brown (Asians, Hispanics, and Mediterraneans).
5	Rarely burns, tans easily and substantially, always exhibits IPD reaction.	Brown-skinned persons, unexposed skin is brown (East Indians, Hispanics, etc.).
6	Tans profusely and never burns, exhibits IPD reaction.	Persons with black skin (African and African descent, Australian and South Indian Aborigines).

Salon West advises that the following people do not use indoor UV tanning facilities:

Skin Type 1.
Children under 14 yrs old.
Pregnant Women.
People who are currently under medical supervision for a skin condition.
Diabetics.
People who are hypo-sensitive to light.

The following people should seek medical advice before tanning, whether it be in the Sun or using a tanning bed:

People who suffer from Epilepsy.
Suffer from dizziness or fainting.
Suffer from headaches or migraines.
People who have a heart condition.
Suffer from irregular blood pressure.
Hypo tension.
Prickly heat.
Any allergies.
Anyone who has skin ulcers or moles that change appearance

Here are some of the most important ways you can prevent UV overexposure and protect the health of your skin while tanning:

   Clean your skin completely before tanning. Some ingredients in makeup and perfume can make skin more susceptible to sunburn.

    Moisturize your skin with lotions specifically developed for indoor tanning, preferably before and after your tanning session. Moisturizers prepare your skin for UV exposure, reducing the drying effects of tanning. *Salon West carries a wide variety of tanning lotions. Ask one of our tanning consultants which ones are right for you.

   Allow a minimum of 24 hours to pass before tanning again, indoors or outdoors. Industry and medical standards recommend waiting 48 to 72 hours, the span of time required for skin to repair minor damage and to create melanin and a tan.

    When tanning nude, protect sensitive areas of the body that normally are not exposed to UV light. Skin on the underarms, backs of legs, buttocks, and genitalia can suffer severe sunburn from the same light intensity that only tans the rest of your body. Expose these areas gradually by covering them halfway through tanning sessions for the first three or four times you tan nude.

    Protect your lips with a lip balm that blocks UV light; lips cannot produce melanin, leaving them at risk for overexposure.

    If you are sunburned, soothe your skin with a moisturizer or aloe gel, and don't try to tan until the redness completely subsides.

   Seek the advice of a medical professional whenever you have a health concern such as rashes, itching, or any other skin problems or irregularities.