Where a tanning bed scores is in not needing good weather; not many of us feel like laying scantily clad in the open air during winter! A tanning bed also makes it easy to limit your exposure very precisely, which means you can keep down the time you spend receiving the UV that both sunlight and sun beds contain.

Tanning beds use artificial light and need to be properly understood in order that they provide safe tanning. The claims in some advertising that say that these beds are totally safe in comparison to the sun are not true. So find out how you can tan yourself safely.

The reason that is often given for the safety of artificial tanning devices is that they use a healthier form or Ultra Violet (UV) light. There is a basis in truth here, but it is not the full story. UV light comes in two varieties UV-A and UV-B - natural sunlight has them both. Early sunning machines used the UV-B rays which caused easy burning, but all have now switched to UV-A. Human skin, when exposed to these rays is less likely to burn, but this doesn't mean that it is 100% safe - you still need to limit your exposure time.

An another important factor when using a sun bed is the use of eye protection. It is a false belief that with UV-A sun beds such precautions are not necessary. They are, and only the proper eye goggles will offer your eyes the protection they need; just closing the eyes, wearing sunglasses or placing pieces of cotton wool over the eyes will not give your eyes the protection they need. All sun bed salons are now under an obligation from the FDA to make their clients wear them when using the beds.

The next thing to think about is the idea of a year-round tan. Is this something you really want? If you live in a country with seasons, it is sometimes nice that you reflect the seasons a little bit - paler in the winter, slightly more tanned in the summer. Okay, if you are desperate for a year round tan, well it's your body, but you should be aware that even tanning beds have a premature aging effect on skin. It is something to think about.

Children and tanning is also an important issue. Studies have shown that if a youngster gets burned the effects are more serious and more skin damage occurs. These studies were looking specifically at UV-B, but plenty of experts think the same caution should be applied to sun beds. So decide if your child or adolescent really needs a tan.

For some people it is important that they seek medical advice before using a tanning station. Diabetics, lupus sufferers or people who tend to get cold sores may find that sun beds aggravate these conditions. Certain medicines - tranquilizers, antihistamines and some birth control pills - can make your skin sensitive to the rays from a tanning machine. The wisest advice for anyone just starting out with an artificial tanning machine is to have a chat with your physician.

So if a tan is what you want, and you are going to use a tanning bed to get it, follow the guidelines mentioned above. Remember to wear eye protection and avoid burning your skin and make the most of your tan.

Copyright 2005 Anndrea Jenkin. All rights reserved.
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Anndrea Jenkin is the manager of UVA Tanning Bed Inc which is a huge resource for tanning bed details on the Internet. Please visit her archive of articles: http://www.uvatanningbed.com/