Now that the days are getting colder and gloomier, students may start hitting the tanning salons more often to get rid of their pale faces. For an inexperienced tanner, however, it's often easy to end up with an unwanted sunburn.
For first-time tanners, it's all about what your goal is, said Michelle Grubbs, owner of Max Tan, with four locations in Lincoln.
"We believe in educating our clients," Grubbs said. "For every person that comes in, we find out what their needs are, what they are tanning for, and we go from there."
Max Tan, like many other tanning salons in Lincoln, offers low pressure, medium pressure and high pressure tanning beds, as well as stand-up tanning and spray-on.
In simplest terms, the higher pressure of the bed, the lower the amount of UVB, a burning ray, and the higher the amount of UVA, a bronzing ray. These are the two most commonly used UV (ultra violet) rays used in tanning beds.
"Skin type comes into play with determining how long we're going to put someone in a bed," Grubbs said. "But there are a lot of things that go into determining how to achieve the best result."
Molly Krolikowski, a senior psychology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said she tans about once or twice a month at Alternative Tan, 1300 P St., to keep a good base.
"I just don't like being super pale or white in the winter," she said. "It makes me feel kind of depressed."
Krolikowski said she normally doesn't use tanning lotion because the differences in results aren't enough to buy a whole bottle for the few times she does tan.
"I tan pretty easily anyway," she said.
However, Grubbs said many people are not aware of what tanning lotion can do for them, even if they only tan for a few minutes at a time.
Using tanning lotion helps absorb UV rays better, has skin care ingredients to keep the skin moist and also penetrates deeper into the skin to create a darker look once the tanner reaches a solid base, Grubbs said.
There are many kinds of lotion that offer different steps for beginner to experienced tanners, and some lotions include a bronzer or a tingling affect, which speeds up blood circulation to give more color.
For clients at Max Tan, Grubbs said most people prefer the lay-down booths.
"They love to feel that warmth and it's relaxing, but the stand-up tan can really even out those pressure point marks," Grubbs said.
Pressure point marks are the harder-to-tan spots like your armpits or shoulder blades that can be left with white spots, she said, and the stand-up tanning is a great way to even out your tan.
Tiffney Koopman, a junior elementary education major, only goes tanning a couple times a year for events and uses the spray-on tanning method.
"I've done tanning beds, but prefer the spray-on because it's easier," Koopman said. "It tans you a lot faster."
Many places offer booths for spay-on tanning that can give a good base tan for three to four days and is especially convenient for events like sorority or fraternity formals or weddings. But there's always the danger of blotching on the hands and feet.
It's best to go to a place that offers a handheld application, and an employee can lessen the risk of blotching.
Grubbs, who offers the handheld application as opposed to a normal booth, said it's much more personalized.
"I spray very little on the hands and feet to avoid the splotching," she said. "And one time is very affordable ($21) for college students."
Obviously, too much exposure to UV rays is damaging to skin, and for those concerned, spray-on or lotion tanning is probably the way to go.
heatherprice@dailynebraskan.com
