Straight answers
Six things people get wrong
Some of these we have been told by customers who heard them in other salons. We would rather correct them than sell on the back of them.
1. “A base tan protects you on holiday.”
No. This is the most persistent claim in the trade and the one most worth abandoning. Whatever colour you arrive with, you still need sun cream abroad, and you should pack it and use it. Building colour before you fly is about how you look and feel, not about protection.
2. “A sunbed is a controlled dose, so it is safer than the sun.”
Output is controlled — every commercial sunbed in the UK is limited by standard to 0.3 W/m², which is a genuine and useful thing. But "regulated" is not "without risk", and we are not going to let the first fact do the work of implying the second. What the evidence says is set out plainly in the tanning guide.
3. “Burning a bit first gets it going.”
A burn is damage, not a stage. It does not become a tan, it hurts, it peels — and peeling takes away the colour you did develop. Every burn also costs you the sessions you cannot use while it settles. Building gradually is not the cautious option; it is the faster one.
4. “Longer sessions get you there quicker.”
Melanin production takes the time it takes. Doubling a session does not double the result — it raises the chance of burning, at which point see the point above. This is also why we set a starting length per bed rather than per person: a stand-up booth is generally stronger than a lay-down, so your usual number does not carry across.
5. “I can top up my vitamin D on a sunbed.”
We do not offer or recommend tanning for that purpose, and we would not want anyone booking on that basis. If you are concerned about your levels, that is a conversation with a GP or a pharmacist, and a supplement is the route they will usually point you to. The subject is covered honestly on the guide.
6. “Moisturiser is an upsell.”
It is the one thing on the shelf that genuinely changes how long your colour lasts, and you do not have to buy it from us — any decent daily moisturiser does most of the job. Dry skin sheds faster and takes the tan with it. We would rather tell you that than sell you an extra session to replace colour you could have kept. Results vary between individuals whatever you use.
General information, not medical advice. Individual responses vary. If you have any concern about your skin, a mole or a medication, speak to your GP or a pharmacist. Sources: Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010; the UK 0.3 W/m² output standard; NHS guidance on sunbeds and vitamin D.
Heard something else?
Ask us. If we do not know, we will say so rather than guess.