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Joshua Lane Piedmont Village (Across from the Lake Monticello Fire Station) Palmyra, Virginia 22963 434-591-0808 Hours:
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Facts on Your Skin, Tanning, Sunburn & Lotions
How does the Tanning Process Happen?
Tanning takes place in the skin's outermost layer, the epidermis. About five percent of the cells in your epidermis are special cells call melanocytes. When exposed to ultraviolet B light (short wave ultraviolet), melanocytes produce melanin - the pigment which is ultimately responsible for your tan. The pinkish melanin travels up through the epidermis and is absorbed by other skin cells. When exposed to ultraviolet A light (longer wave), the melanin oxidizes or darkens. This darkening is your skin's way of protecting itself against too much UV light. Everyone has the same number of melanocytes in their body - about five million. But your heredity dictates how much melanin your body's melanocytes naturally will produce. For example, the skin of African Americans contains enough melanin to create a black or brown skin color, while the skin of Caucasians has less melanin and is pale. In order to most effectively avoid overexposure, a tan should be acquired gradually, according to the guidelines prescribed by your salon professional. A sunburn, or erythema, occurs when too much ultraviolet light reaches the skin and disrupts the tiny blood vessels near the skin's surface.
When you get a tan, what is actually happening is that the melanocytes in your skin are producing melanin pigment in reaction to ultraviolet light in sunlight. Ultraviolet light stimulates melanin production. The pigment has the effect of absorbing the UV radiation in sunlight, so it protects the cells from UV damage. Melanin production takes a fair amount of time - that is why most people cannot get a tan in one day. You have to expose yourself to UV for a short period of time to activate the melanocytes. They produce melanin over the course of hours. By repeating this process over 5 to 7 days pigment builds up in your cells to a level that is protective.
The process applies to Caucasians. In a variety of other races melanin production is continuous, so the skin is always pigmented to some degree. In these races the incidence of skin cancer is much lower because cells are constantly protected from UV radiation by melanin.
Melanocytes actually produce two different pigments: eumelanin (brown) and phaeomelanin (yellow and red). Red heads happen to produce more phaeomelanin and less eumelanin, which is why they don't tan very well. In albinos, the chemical pathway that produces melanin cannot proceed because an enzyme called Tyrosinase is missing. Therefore albinos have no melanin in their skin, hair or irises.
Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) is produced by the pituitary gland. MSH flows through the bloodstream and reaches the melanocytes, encouraging them to produce more melanin (for example, a person injected with a large dose of MSH will get darker). The pituitary gland is actually quite interesting - it is tied into the optic nerve, which means that it can sense light. If you have ever raised chickens for eggs, you know that in the winter egg production falls way off. You solve this problem by providing light in the chicken coop. The extra light stimulates the pituitary gland in chickens, which causes the gland to produce a hormone essential to egg laying. In humans, light affects the pituitary gland as well and one result is the production of MSH. A funny side-effect of all of this is that wearing sunglasses may make you more susceptible to sunburn! See this page for some thoughts on the subject.
How Sunlight Works
Sunlight arrives on earth in three forms: infrared (heat), visible light and ultraviolet. Ultraviolet light is classified into three categories:
* UVA (315 to 400 nm), also known as black light, which causes tanning
* UVB (280 to 315 nm), which causes damage in the form of sunburn
* UVC (100 to 280 nm), which is filtered out by the atmosphere and never
reaches us.
99% of the sun's UV radiation at sea level is UVA. It is the UVB that causes most of the problems related to sun exposure: things like aging, wrinkles, cancer and so on, although research is increasingly implicating UVA as well.
One of the interesting things about UV radiation is that it is reflected by different surfaces. These reflections can amplify the effects of UV exposure. For example, snow reflects 90% of UV light. That is why you can get snow blindness and severe sunburns from skiing on a sunny day. Sand can reflect up to 20% of UVB that hits it, meaning that you can get extra UV exposure at the beach.
On the other hand, certain things absorb almost all UV radiation partially or completely. Glass is one of these substances - many glasses are very good absorbers of UV (which is why you may have heard that you cannot get sunburn in a greenhouse - just make sure it is glass and not plastic covering the greenhouse!). Most sunscreens use chemicals that have the same UV-absorbing properties.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/sunscreen1.htm
Why does a tan fade and go away?
The "tan," or pigmentation process, occurs in the epidermis, the top skin layer. The epidermis replaces all its skin cells every 28-30 days. Cells in the inner portion of the top skin layer divide themselves, migrate to the surface, gradually die and slough off. Skin cells contain melanin, and as a result of UV exposure, rise to the surface and flake off. Therefore, a tan can be maintained only by repeated exposure to UV light.
How often is a person allowed to tan?
Since 1986, the Food and Drug Administration guidelines suggest that a 48 hour should pass between tanning sessions. Pigmentation and/or erythema (sunburn) may not be fully visible for between 12-24 hours. Thus two tanning sessions within this 24 hour period could cause an unintentional burn. In general, maximum pigmentation can be build up gradually, following the exposure schedule, in 8-10 tanning sessions.
Why should I use a indoor tanning lotion?
Well-cared-for skin tans quicker, darker and stays tan longer than neglected skin. Indoor tanning lotion will help enhance and maintain your tan longer. Here are three ways it helps.
Hydration - It's necessary that skin be hydrated sufficiently to reach and maintain the desired tan. Dry skin will actually reflect UV light, not allowing it to tan underneath. In addition, neglected, dry skin exfoliates faster, causing the tan to fade quicker. Lotions use blends of botanical oils that moisturize deep into the skin. These replenishing oils keep skin soft and supple, and therefore youthful looking.
Nutrition - The natural vitamins in better indoor lotions are fundamental to the skin's appearance and its ability to tan. Along with their hydrating properties, these vitamins replenish the necessary nutrition to skin cells, promoting cell regeneration. They also are the catalysts which alllow oxygenation to occur below the skin's surface.
Oxygenation- The benefits of oxygen are enormous. It fuels all skin cell functions and, more specifically, it accelerates the tanning process. "Newborn" melanin is a light pinkish color that blends with the rest of the skin when it reaches the surface. Not until it's oxidized on its journey to the surface of the skin will it actually deepen in colo
What is a Tingle indoor tanning lotion?
A lotion which stimulates microcirculation. The bringing of blood and oxygen to the tiny blood vessels near the skin's surface. The higher the Tingle Factor, the more intense the tingling, and the more advanced the tanning results In order to become accustomed to the tingling sensation, it is recommended that tanning clients advance through each Tingle Factor level, beginning with Tingle Factor 0 and progressing through succeeding Tingle Factors 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Do I have to wear protection when tanning indoors?
Yes! Eyewear protects your eyes from potentially harmful ultraviolet light. Your eyelids will not tan, they will burn easily. Ultraviolet damage is to your eyes is cumulative. Closing your eyes will not protect them from potential ultraviolet damage
Is it harmful to wear contact lenses when tanning indoors?
There exists no known why contact lenses may not be worn while tanning indoors. When the eyes are kept closed and proper protective eyewear worn, UV light is blocked from penetrating the eye or lens. However, the heat generated by indoor tanning equipment could cause the eye to dry a bit, thereby making the lens uncomfortable. Just as one should moisturize the skin after tanning, contact lens wearers may also use the eye drops recommended by his/her optometrist.
Why do some people itch after tanning?
Itching and/or rashes may be linked to several unrelated causes, so it is important to obtain a tanning history on each customer. Some people are naturally photosensitive upon exposure to UV. Others are susceptible to heat rashes, a cause totally unrelated to UV light. Certain chemicals or ingredients found in cosmetics, lotions, shampoos, and even the acrylic cleaner may cause itching as well. Rashes caused by these products generally occur in localized areas on which the products were applied. Customers should be advised to tan with the skin as clean as possible. If discontinued use of a suspected product does not inhibit the rash, a person should discontinue any exposure to UV light until the condition subsides or see a physician.
What causes white spots?
There are several reasons why white spots become noticeable on the body once the tanning process begins. Patches of skin which do not tan could be the result of genetic determination. The melanocytes in that certain area may simply not be efficient at producing melanin. White spots could also appear due to the presence of a fungus which lives on the skin's surface. While the fungus is harmless, it does absorb UV light which would normally penetrate the skin. This fungus did not appear as a result of tanning; it merely becomes noticeable once tanning occurs. It can be remedied through the use of prescription drugs or some other topical lotions.
Does tanning help treat depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
There exists a growing body of scientific evidence which indicates that some people actually require more light exposure in order to function properly. Exposure to bright light, such as that emitted by the mid-day summer sun, causes the brain to suppress the release of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin acts as a depressant in the body if generated during the daytime. Thus, when affected people are exposed to longer hours of bright light, they feel happier, euphoric and more able to enjoy life. Bright light sources emitting only visible light, are now frequently used to successfully treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Sub-syndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder (SSAD).
http://www.southernlites.ca/index-7.html
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