It’s really no mystery why commercial tanning is such a thriving industry. There are scores of people who haven’t the time or money to spend on an actual beach or ski slope. Instead, they flock to tanning salons across the country that offer them the sun-kissed bronze look that says, “What? You didn’t make it to the beach?”

 

Commercial tanning methods include traditional beds with UVA and/or UVB bulbs or a combination of the two. A horizontal bed used to be the most common in commercial tanning, but too many people dislike lying down where someone else’s skin has been. Also, many people don’t like the claustrophobia that occurs in a horizontal bed. Now, there are plenty of vertical options available.

 

Many salons now offer the advanced technology of “sunless tanning”. The chemical DHA (dihydroxyacetone) has been found to be very effective in artificially darkening the skin. The artificial coloring doesn’t last as long as real UV rays, but that hasn’t deterred spray tanning from becoming popular within the commercial tanning industry.