A Guide To Tanning Bed Bulbs
Tanning bed bulbs and the tanning bed itself were invented in the late 1970′s by Friedrich Wolff, a German inventor.
Tanning beds have quite a bad reputation these days as our knowledge of the damaging effects of UV light increase and the debate as to whether tanning beds are safer than the sun itself rages on.
Health care professionals argue that both forms of exposure are equally as bad for the human skin. It is likely that this opinion is outdated because, with the progress of technology, there is now a very strong case that the tanning bed bulb is safer than the sun itself.
Modern tanning bed lamps release 40% less UVB light than the sun. UVB are the most dangerous rays, with a much shorter wavelength than their cousin – UVA. UVB rays only affect the skins surface and are the main culprit responsible for sun burn. UVA rays meanwhile, have longer wavelengths and sink deeper into the skin, stimulating melanin production (responsible for skin color pigment) thus giving our skin a nice golden tan.
Tanning salon owners will argue that it is much safer to get your ‘fix’ of tanning in a controlled environment which will deliver predictable results rather than baking yourself under the sun for hours upon hours hoping to catch some color. There is also a wide variety of indoor tanning lotion on the market which helps to further enhance the effectiveness of the UVB light in the tanning beds, creating better tans in less time – thus meaning the person needs to spend less time in the tanning beds overall.
About The Bulbs Themselves.
-Tanning industry professionals generally agree that there are two main types of tanning lights – tanning ‘bulbs’ and tanning ‘lamps’.
-The ‘bulbs’ are known as high pressure units and are more powerful than ‘lamps’, low pressure units. They use an electrical ballast to create power and are basically high power plasma lamps, like neon signs.
-The lifespan of tanning bed bulbs in general is 300-1000 hours.
-The UV bulbs come in other shapes which have medical uses for the likes of eczema and psoriasis. They are also used in the production of violins, guitars, cellos etc to age the wood.
Despite these positive facts, tanning bed bulbs still have a lot of stigma attached to them by the media and it is unlikely that this will go away in the near future as the cases of skin cancer and tanning bed use rise in tandem.