Eye Protection for Smart Indoor Tanning

Are you enforcing the use of eye protection in your salon?

The association between stripping down and indoor tanning usually goes without saying. At the start of a session tanners take off their shoes, clothes, makeup and jewelry to guarantee they’re getting maximum exposure for an even tan. But what some salons or tanning businesses can neglect to enforce is what clients should be putting on before getting in the bed – eye protection.

It’s a common misconception that simply keeping your eyes closed during your session will prevent UV rays from damaging your eyes. However, eyelid skin is very thin, and because UV rays from a tanning bed are exceptionally strong and very direct, any eye protection besides that designed specifically for indoor tanning is essentially ineffective. Will guests notice a difference after one time of exposure without eye protection? Probably not. Yet after a few sessions sans proper eye wear, guest might experience blurred vision, itchy eyes and puffy or sunburnt eyelids. And in the long-term the contact of UV rays with the retina, and overexposure of the cornea can result in damage requiring surgery, and as severe as blindness.

“Night vision diminishes rapidly after just a few tans without eye protection.  There is no surgery or drug to get back your night vision or color vision.  Color vision also fades after a few tans without eye protection.  This is the ability to see numerous shades of a color and is critical if you want a career in fashion, web design, retail, art, photography or aviation.  If you tan long term without eyewear, you begin to get cataracts, eye growths and macular degeneration,” explained Brenda Fishbaugh, President of Eye Pro, Inc.

Currently, it is required by law that operators provide some form of eye protection in at least 23 states. To find out if your current or potential location is on that list, as well as other restrictions for your state, you can reference the National Conference of State Legislatures website. And honestly, even if you aren’t required by law, the low cost of supplying free eye protection to your clients might be worth being regarded as a safe and trustworthy salon in your area. Reach out to ProSun for more information regarding proper eye protection for your salon!

Providing eye wear doesn’t mean you and your staff now have to take on the tasks of sanitizing goggles and replacing the pairs that sometimes leave with the customers. Eye Pro’s Wink-Ease offers an FDA compliant product line designed to be different from the traditional tanning goggle, yet still as effective. The small circular UV blockers fold to create cones that stay in place with a light medical-grade adhesive, making them functional in both lay down and stand up equipment. Users are actually even able to see through the cones for any adjustments they may need to make during their session. When the guest is finished they simply discard the shields and use a new pair on their next visit.

“Tanners usually shun eye wear to avoid raccoon eyes.   Wink-Ease are adjustable, so you can adjust the fold to fit your eye, minimizing any tan lines.  We especially love Lash Room Wink-Ease, as they allow more room for long eyelashes and lash extensions.  We always recommend you move your eye protection a bit during a tan, which also minimizes lines. Wink-Ease are a full UV block, but you can easily see through them, just like sunglasses,” Brenda stated.

As a tanning equipment owner, it’s important not to disregard your eye safety either! Eye Pro also has eye protection for owners or employees who perform regular maintenance on their equipment. It may not seem like you’re spending a long duration of time exposed to the bulbs while you replace them, but it only takes a couple of minutes of exposure for damage to occur. Eye Pro’s UV Blockers are styled for full peripheral vision while blocking 99.9% of UV rays. The glasses are also suggested for use by sunless spray tan technicians.

An additional fun fact, Eye Pro supports a number of exotic animal conservation organizations, and is able to continue to do so because of the businesses that choose them as their eye protection supplier. You can follow Eye Pro’s animal advocacy on their Facebook page. So for all of the animal lovers out there, you’ll have more than one reason to feel good about providing or selling Wink-Ease products in your salon.

Wink-Ease will provide your salon with free samples and educational gory countermat with eye damage photos. Email your name, salon name and address to WinkEase@WinkEase.com for your eye education package.  In addition, check out Wink-Ease instructional videos on their YouTube.

To purchase Wink-Ease products contact ProSun at (877) 725-2236 or sales@prosun.com.