Basics of Solarium Operations!

As a tanning salon owner, you absolutely must make every effort to provide your clients with a professional and enjoyable tanning experience. You must do everything you can to make them want to return. However, even if you strive for exemplary customer service and equip your studio with state-of-the-art tanning beds, remember that, as with any service, the devil is in the details.

This short article outlines the things you should have in place at your tanning studio to enhance your clients' experience and improve the overall quality of your tanning services.

Tanning lamps

It's common knowledge that tanning lamps are an essential part of any tanning salon. However, today's wide range of lamps offers a variety of special and diverse tanning features, beyond just tanning. For example, tanning beds can be equipped with red-light lamps, which help improve the skin's youthful appearance, or with other types of so-called hybrid lamps, which give the skin much more than just a nice tan. If not regulated by law, it's recommended to diversify tanning beds by installing different lamp types and intensities to give customers the opportunity to tailor the tanning power to their individual needs and expectations.

When tanning, only use lotion!

Nowadays, professionaltanning lotions are essential salon equipment and a mandatory step in creating the perfect tan. Bronzers, accelerators, and other types of these lotions are essential to enhance the tanning process and provide our skin with adequate hydration and protection, as well as to keep it properly nourished. When our clients don't use tanning lotions specifically for tanning in tanning beds, their skin is more susceptible to dryness and, as a result, premature aging. Furthermore, insufficiently moisturized skin acts like fish scales, which impede the absorption of UV rays, thus hindering the tanning process.

To learn more about the use and properties of tanning lotions in solariums, we invite you to read one of our articles:

https://www.onyxtan.pl/blogs/blog/jakich-kosmetykow-uzywac-w-solarium

Cleanliness and order come first!

In short, some things simply cannot be overlooked or ignored. Maintaining a clean tanning salon is crucial for clients, primarily for hygiene reasons, but also for safety. Furthermore, no client wants to lie down on a dirty tanning bed and find hair or dust all over the floor. Clients expect a relaxing treatment in an orderly, pleasant, and clean environment. They want to feel comfortable and at ease. Cleanliness in a tanning studio refers not only to well-maintained tanning equipment but also to all surfaces that collect dust or dirt particles, even if they are not easily accessible to clients, such as fans or switches. To keep the space clean, choose a disinfectant or sanitizer that has been certified and accredited for use in accordance with applicable national or regional laws. Sanitation standards also include the provision of paper towels, hand sanitizer, and—if clients request it—disposable underwear.

While some parts or areas of the tanning bed can be cleaned daily or even weekly, tanning surfaces, buttons, and handles should be disinfected after each client with an appropriate cleaning agent. A sanitized sign should be posted to let clients know the equipment is ready for use once cleaning is complete.

Do everything you can to make it comfortable!

Even though tanning doesn't take long, it's obvious that client comfort is important. You can do this by providing things like makeup remover or makeup wipes. Some tanning studios even provide a set of wet wipes and deodorant to give clients a chance to freshen up after their session. Another option, but one that makes a huge difference and enhances the feeling of relaxation, is a foam tanning pillow or headrest. (These should, of course, be disinfected after each use.) Another good idea is to offer clients free water or drinks to replenish moisture and improve their overall experience at your facility.

Safety first!

As mentioned earlier, maintaining a clean tanning bed is undoubtedly a key aspect of running a tanning business. However, there are a few other things that are necessary to ensure the safety of tanning beds.

Because excessive exposure to UV radiation can be harmful to eyesight and can impair vision, it's essential to wear eye protection during every tanning session. These should be disinfected after each use and made available to clients in a visible and accessible place. Some clients prefer to have a pair of these goggles on hand, so include them in your package or add them as an add-on to your tanning lotion or tanning session purchase.

Finally, to care for the skin of your tanning clients, educate them on the importance of using tanning lotions. Keeping skin well-nourished and moisturized is another aspect of safety and anti-aging protection.

It's worth keeping a record!

Regardless of the frequency of tanning, a tanning salon owner should use a system that provides basic customer data. This doesn't include sensitive personal information, but rather information that helps improve customers' tanning experiences. In most cases, this can be accomplished using dedicated tanning studio software, which tracks the frequency and duration of tanning sessions, but also allows for collecting information about the client's skin type, desired results, and even products purchased. It's good practice to ask clients to complete a short form or questionnaire that identifies their skin type and includes a list of contraindications to tanning to ensure they are using the tanning bed sensibly. (A sample list can be found here: https://www.onyxtan.pl/blogs/blog/korzystasz-z-solarium-mamy-dla-was-kilka-przeciwwskazan-kiedy-akurat-musisz-zrezygnowac-z-opalania .)

Most customers visit your tanning salon regularly. It's worth considering how to recognize them as loyal customers. Tanning loyalty cards can provide your customers with additional discounts or freebies that they can receive from you when they regularly visit your tanning salon.

Onyx strives to provide its customers with all the products, supplies, equipment, and information you need, all in one convenient place. If you are a distributor or tanning salon owner, contact us for a personalized tanning bed supply quote.