NEW LAW EFFECTIVE 11/14/06
PLEASE READ

New York Gov. George Pataki signed Senate Bill 2602C into law Aug. 16 (effective Nov
14), instituting statewide tanning salon restrictions and prohibits minors under age 14
from tanning indoors. The bill requires individuals over age 18 to provide proof of age
and a signed warning statement. A consent form to tan is required for minors ages 14 to
18 and must be signed by a guardian in the presence of a tanning salon operator. The
consent form is valid for one year.
Photo ID is to be required prior to every session to verify date of birth.  You must also
present qualified FDA eyewear.  
Please be prepared to show ID if you are under the age of 25 or have a baby  face!
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
COOL STUFF
Tanning Process

How Does the Skin Tan in the Sun?
Tanning begins the moment you step out into the sun for most people. As UV rays penetrate the skin, it starts to
break down DNA in the body. In order for the body to protect itself to prevent further damage to your body, it starts to
produce melanin. The more melanin in your body, the darker the body becomes and the more protected you are
from the sun. So someone who has spent a lot of time in the sun can stand out in the sun for longer periods of
time without the risk of sunburn. A suntan needs to be gradual, so it is better to tan for only a little bit at a time and
with the right sort of protection like using sunscreen.



What is Melanin in the Skin?
Melanin is produced to protect your skin from sun damage. The moment you are hit with UV rays, either from a
tanning bed or from the sun, the body tries to protect itself from the rays by producing melanin. There is a type of
cell in your body called melanocyte and this produces melanin, but it can only produce so much at a time. In some
people it doesn’t produce melanin at all or very little of it. Those people have a sensitive skin type and shouldn’t
stay out in the sun too long at all without moderate protection. Each person actually has about the same number of
melanocyte cells in the body but only people above skin type I have melanocyte cells that produce more than
enough melanin to create a tan in the body.



Are Melanin Cells?
Melanin is actually a pigment in your skin. There are two sorts of pigments the melanocyte produces.
Phaeomelanin is a red or yellow color and eumelanin, which is brown in color. In some people, people with red
hair, the skin produces more phaeomelanin than eumelanin. The melanin pigment is not produced in most people
with fair skin as it is only produced when activated by the sun. This is why someone who can tan fairly well may end
up with fairly white skin when not exposed to the sun.



What About Melanin Production for People with Dark Skin?
In the case of people outside of Caucasians, melanin production continues even without regular exposure to the
skin. The darker the skin, the more melanin is being produced in the body. The skin is better adapted to being out
in the sun longer. Those with a darker pigment can still get sunburn if overexposed to the sun, but the melanin
already in the skin will protect it better than those with lighter skin. Even if the skin is not exposed to the sun, it will
still keep melanin in production to a certain extent.



How to Get a Fast Tan
Many people want to know exactly how to get a fast tan under the sun. Unfortunately, the body cannot produce
enough melanin in time to tan completely in a couple of hours, enough melanin that would produce a deep tan with
some people. However, with regular exposure in short durations, the body will produce enough melanin in as little
as five to seven days to create a nice glowing tan on people who have the ability to tan. The best way to get a fast
tan is to spend a few minutes a day in a tanning bed. The regular direct exposure will actually tan your skin faster.
Your body will tan faster because only five minutes in a tanning bed is like two hours of being exposed to the sun. If
you need a fast tan, you could try self tanning lotion, but it is only a temporary solution as it doesn’t help produce
melanin in the body.



So Ultraviolet Sunlight Helps Produce Melanin?
Any sort of ultraviolet light helps the body produce melanin, whether it is sunlight or light from a tanning bed.
Sunlight has three different sorts of ultraviolet rays. UVA is also known as black light and is what helps produce a
tan. UVB tends to burn the skin though it can help produce a tan too if it penetrates deep into the skin. UVC rays are
filtered out by the atmosphere and don’t tend to reach the body for the most part. With exposure to sunlight, the
body is exposed to different waves of UVA and UVB rays all the time. This means it is very hard to tell which rays
you are getting on your skin and which aren’t. With a tanning bed, you are generally exposed to direct ultraviolet rays
and usually you are getting more UVA rays than UVB. Tanning beds are designed to be a healthier way to get a tan
by controlling the amount of ultraviolet light you are exposed to. With sunlight, you are unable to control what
happens to the ultraviolet light and therefore you can’t predict how long to stay out in the sun for.
Tanning Benefits