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| UVA is a longer ray that penetrates
the skin more deeply and slowly than UVB. The melanin in your
skin absorbs the UVA rays, turning the pigment brown. |
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| UVB rays are short, intense waves of energy,
stimulating melanocytes in your skin to produce the pigment we
call melanin. |
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As a tanner, you've probably always been curious about exactly
how your skin tans. The process is really quite simple, and
works the same whether you tan indoors or outdoors. |
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- Ultraviolet light is the catalyst, and a pigment in your skin called melanin does the rest.
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Here's a layman's description of the entire process: |
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Tanning takes place in the skin's outermost layer, the
epidermis. About five percent of the cells in your epidermis are
special cells called 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.
Why does a tan fade? Cells in the epidermis' germinative
layer (also called the living epidermis) are constantly
reproducing and pushing older cells upward toward the horny
layer (dead epidermis), where they are sloughed off in about one
month. As your skin replaces its cells, the cells laden with
melanin are removed. So the tanning process must continue with
the new cells. |
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Understanding Ultraviolet Light |
Ultraviolet light, whether produced by the sun or an indoor
tanning unit, consists of two main components, UVA and UVB, both
of which contribute differently to your tan. Indoor tanning
equipment utilizes a carefully formulated and controlled mixture
of the two light waves, designed to tan you with a minimized
risk of sunburn. Tanning outdoors does not give you this
control, because the sun emits the entire spectrum of
ultraviolet light, including the most intense rays that burn you
more quickly. That's why we call indoor tanning "Smart Tanning." |
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Epidermis |
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Your skin's epidermis consists of two layers: the gerrminative
layer (sometimes called the "living" epidermis) and the horny
layer (the "dead" epidermis). When exposed to ultraviolet
light, melonacytes in the germinative layer produce melanin
which is absorbed by the surrounding cells. This creates a
protective barrier from ultraviolet light reaching deeper, more
sensitive layers of the skin. This whole tanning process is the
body's own natural defense against sunburn and skin damage. |
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Why Redder Isn't Better |
Many people grow up thinking that if they don't experience a
slight red or pinkish tint after they tan that they didn't "get
anything." The truth is that the red or pinkish tint you see is
actually sunburn (or
erythema) - your skin's worst enemy. The fact is that the
sunburns we experience due to lack of
information when we are growing up are the very things that lead
to skin damage later in life.Smart tanners know that the key
to avoiding sunburn is moderation in terms of UV exposure. The
best way to ensure a "smart tan" is to take advantage of the
years of research that have gone into tanning equipment to
provide you with a controlled, predictable dosage of UV light.
Also, use lotions to moisturize your skin before tanning and, if
you do tan outdoors, remember that the sun emits whatever types
of UV rays it wants. Several other environmental factors come in
to play with outdoor UV light, making exposure unpredictable.
Don't rely on the color of your skin to tell you when to get
out of the sun. Overexposure isn't evident sometimes unlit hours
after the sun's gone down. It's better to use a sunscreen and to
wear protective clothing than to risk overexposure which can
lead to skin damage. |
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