HISTORY OF THE TANNING BED

As with many technologies that we take for granted today, the machinery for indoor tanning was actually developed as part of medical research many years ago. In fact, the world's first UV indoor tanning lamp was made in Germany by a medical company named Heraeus in 1906. This UV indoor tanning lamp was used to help patients with diseases like ricketts develop more calcium and stronger bones. Today's scientific research on the value of sunlight in creating vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium, shows that Heraeus was on to something big.

In the early 1970's, a German scientist named Friedrich Wolff decided to use artificially produced indoor tanning UV light to study athletes and how they might benefit from more exposure to sunlight. During his studies, he noticed an interesting side effect on the athletes - the golden glow o a healthy tan. Given the rise of the tan as a fashion statement at that time, Wolff used his scientific knowledge to create the first indoor tanning beds - and a new industry was born.

Cosmetic indoor tanning made its debut in Germany, and the first mass-produced indoor tanning beds came out of Europe. Today, indoor tanning in Europe is government-regulated and considered a very professional industry.

In the US, however, early indoor tanning beds were not as well made, and the technology behind them was not as well researched as those in Europe. These early American-made indoor tanning beds emitted high levels of ultraviolet B (UVB) light. UVB light jump-starts the skin's production of melanin, the substance which creates a tan… but uncontrolled, it can also cause sunburn and other skin disorders.

The early popularity of these high-UVB indoor tanning beds caused many in the medical community, especially dermatologists, to seek out opportunities in the media and in governmental forums to decry their use.

In reaction to this, researchers in the tanning industry conducted studies that found that tanning beds that used lamps with higher percentages of ultraviolet A (UVA) light could provide tans with a decreased risk of sunburn. Once that was determined, the industry acted voluntarily to change the standard lamps in equipment to include higher percentages of UVA than UVB.

That change created the modern bed that provides tanners with a bed that, with smart, sensible use, can provide a healthy tan with minimal risk of sun burn or skin damage.

The unit that was the result of Dr. Wolffe's research has now been through more than 30 years of laboratory and anecdotal development, and as an owner, you reap the benefits. Today's beds offer tanners a comfortable, efficient experience and a smart way to develop a tan without the burn. So enjoy the advances that 30 years of research can bring - and enjoy your new bed!