Just a few years ago, mainstream media covered the Congressional report on the indoor tanning industry. Some of you may remember what the probe uncovered:
1) Nearly all salons (90%) denied the known risks of indoor tanning. 2) Four out of five salons falsely claimed that indoor tanning is beneficial to a young person’s health. 3) Salon operators used many approaches to minimize the health risks of indoor tanning including saying, “it’s got to be safe, or else [the government] wouldn’t let us do it.” 4) Three quarters of salons failed to follow FDA recommendations on tanning session frequency.
The legislators then wrote to FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, urging her to act upon the findings from the 2010 meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel. This panel included among their recommendations; “strengthened education, training, testing and certification of tanning bed operators.” Dr. Suzanne Connolly, Vice President of the American Academy of Dermatology, went on to state further, “… the potential effect of this report is huge. We must grab the attention of our population and educate them. It’s a big opportunity for improving health by reducing risk through education.”
As a presenter of accredited indoor tanning operator training for over 20 years, I absolutely agree. Our industry has not been 100 percent behind instructing salon operators in strict accordance with FDA/FTC guidelines regarding medical and health claims. If we had been, it would have been highly unlikely to see the findings about health claims and deception on the part of salon operators that were contained in the Congressional report. However, salons have been promoting (for years, I might add) the health benefits of tanning indoors. But it’s time to get back on track – following the FDA and FTC guidelines and educating your salon guests and the public through factual information supplied by the accredited Sun is Life Training & Certification program.
There is extensive research on many of the positive effects of UV exposure and many people who suffer from psoriasis and low vitamin D have benefitted from it. However, our industry falls under the guidance of the Food and Drug Administration which lists sunbeds as a cosmetic device. Some may disagree, but “it is what it is.” In actuality, very few people visit tanning salons solely to treat a medical issue. The majority of indoor tanners do it for purely cosmetic reasons: get a tan, look good/feel good. Why, then, do salon operators still rely on making health claims to encourage people to tan indoors? The reply offered by some is that it is the easiest way to offer an argument to the media’s antitanning reports.
Look: our salon guests crave the prospect of relaxing in the warmth of a sunbed, just as much as enjoying the sunshine during the first nice days of spring. The popularity of sunless tanning systems and products is arguably due to the same main reason: the desire for tanned skin. It’s been that way since the inception of our industry and our direction should be to focus on promoting indoor tanning by using terms like “control, moderation and responsibility” for those weighing the risk/benefit of UV exposure.
Let’s all get on the same page and move our industry in the right direction! Enroll in the Sun is Life Training & Certification program, which promotes increasing professionalism through easy-to-understand online education modules, and specifically trains salon operators on what should and should not be communicated to the public regarding indoor tanning.
Remember: For those who weigh the risks and benefits of controlled UV exposure, indoor tanning provides a controlled method to obtain a cosmetic tan achieved according to individual skin type and a timer that minimizes the risks of overexposure and sunburn.”
A 26-year industry veteran, Joe has taught certified salon operator training for the last 15 years, as well as advocating indoor tanning in many capacities. Joe is a sought-after speaker and presenter at both national & regional trade events, also interacting with the FDA, state & local regulatory agencies. During his most recent tenure with the ITA, he served as director of membership.
Copyright 2020 ist Magazine