It is not at all uncommon for new visitors to a tanning salon to have a lot of questions about safety, how to tan, what to watch for and even what products to use. If you have commercial tanning beds in place from more than one manufacturer, it will be important for your staff to have the training to be able to provide customers with accurate, correct and factual answers to their questions.
Having information in printed form on the different commercial tanning beds in the salon and safety information about using each bed can be very helpful. The staff can hand this information to the customers, and they can read through the brochure or fact sheet and get the answers they need.
However, they may still have other questions to ask. By training staff in how to answer these questions, you can avoid issues with misinformation and also help the staff to feel comfortable and knowledgeable in providing this information.
Lotions and Products
Most salons will have specific rules and requirements on the use of different types of tanning lotions and products. It will be important to staff to review these policies with customers, and to also have the information posted in the tanning booth area.
Most salons encourage customers to use the tanning products they offer, or to bring in their own professional quality products. Other tanning lotions or baby oil are typically not allowed as they can not only damage commercial tanning beds, but they can also cause problems for the customer with burning or unusual tan colors.
Frequency of Tanning
Staff should be aware of how often clients can expect to tan. Some people can be very insistent that they can tolerate longer in the bed or more session per week than recommended. By having a policy in place that follows recommended tanning practices, including waiting for at least 48 hours between sessions as per FDA recommendations, there are fewer issues with customers.
Special Health Issues
Generally, there are few health issues that preclude the ability to tan. However, pregnant women are typically advised by their doctors to avoid tanning as the beds, even in stand up booths, will give off additional heat.
People with some forms of skin conditions, undergoing any type of medical treatment, or those on particular medications should always consult with a doctor before making the choice to tan.