Anybody know anything about canopy sunbeds?

[cathy2702]

I'm looking a bit of advice before I approach the company.

I hired a canopy sunbed on Wednesday. I've never been on a sunbed before and I'm actually so careful with my skin. I asked the guy loads of questions like what creams or lotions I should wear to protect my skin, he said none, no sun creams as they're for the sun, no accelerators or anything as they dont work, but if I find it hard to tan on my legs I should wear oil on them and they'll tan darker (oil-baby oil, coconut oil etc) .

I found this odd but as I've never hired one before I havent thought anything different about this.

He said with me being fair skinned (although I normally tan quite well in the sun) that I should start with 10 minutes.

So anyway on Wednesday evening I went on to the bed for 10 mins and I've burned quite badly actually. The area between my boobs is red and very sore to touch, my stomach has a red strip down the centre to match my boobs, my back had a red stripe in the centre too. Everywhere else is unaffected, which is what I find quite surprising.

I'm wondering is it me or is it the bed?! Surely if I'm going to burn I'll burn all over and not just right down the centre of my body?

So if anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them, I have a theory about the tubes only working in the centre of the bed but as I've never had a sunbed before I dont want to be wrong, and I havent used it since either.

Oh I forgot to add he told me to have it about 5 inches away from my body but I kept it alot further away than that, maybe 20 inches away as I didnt want to feel claustrophobic.

TIA
Cate

[mountainofdebt]

If it was me I'd switch the thing off and not use it again.....although having said that I don't think I would have hired it in the first place.

I don't know why you've burned only in the middle - perhaps your theory is right or the tube in the middle is newer perhaps.

I know its not fashionable to look pasty white but I'd rather be pasty white than suffer from something horrible as a result of using these things.

[cathy2702]

I agree and normally I'm not so vain. I'm so disappointed as everyone compliments me on my nice skin, and now I feel awful and sore.

I only got it because I'm going to my brothers wedding in 2 weeks and others are using a sunbed and also as I'm going on a hol in Sept and the people I'm going with are all using them too so I didnt want to look stupid and out of place, stupid I know!

Cate

[mountainofdebt]

I know what you mean......I've seen pictures of myself where I'm a deathly white and others are tanned !

Have you thought about a St Topaz treatment or a DIY version?

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Although I have never uses a tanning lamp I am aware that, if used carefully they do far more good than harm.

Before you use Indoor tanning lamps to raise your vitamin D status you really need to educate yourself regarding how the process works. From this (http://www.uvguide.co.uk/vitdpathway.htm)you can see that applying TOO much heat for too long not only damages your skin but also destroys thevitamin D you need to protect your skin from cancer (http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?type=article&article_id=218392932)

While I appreciate the OP here is looking for a tan primarily, it seems to me you should not put your health at risk simply for cosmetic purposes. Using a low pressure lamp will ensure you are getting Vitamin D UVB as well as UVA.

Most indoor tanning studios emit UV equivalent to sun exposure at mid latitude and the common sense approach to home tanning is to restrict yourself to about a third or at the very most 2 thirds the safe sun exposure at mid latitudes.

type one skin maximum time at mid latitude 8 mins so 3 to 5 mins is the most under a lamp
type 2 max 10 = 3-6 mins max
type 3 max 20 = 7-13 mins under lamp
type 4 max 25 = 8-16 mins lamp
type 5-6 max 35 = 11 - 22 mins lamps.Know what happens with the type of oil you are using. Rubbing oil into your skin increases the depth to which the UV rays penetrate so you must halve the time you expose your skin.

Use goggles at all times.

If you are taking any medications check that there are not contra indications for UV exposure. Some make your skin more photosensitive. Similarly if you have a condition (ie lupus) that worsens through exposure to UV you have to go very carefully using regular limited exposures over and extended period (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16488300).

I've set out on my blog some research based tips for improving your skin's photoprotection ability. (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=199605272&MyToken=950a6edf-0890-468b-ac86-4a6396844581ML)The point though is that these are long term stragegies and take several months to show improvement. The tomatoe paste example used 55g of tomato paste every day for 12 weeks. The UV hardening therapy was 3 times weekly for a year building up to a max of 10 mins. So the message really is LITTLE but often and take it very slowly rather that risking burning by rushing the process.