The Brightest Bulb in the Tanning Bed

Although "the brightest bulb in the tanning bed" is sometimes used in a saying to describe someone who isn't the smartest person around, the phrase brings the importance of knowing your tanning bed facts right into the spotlight. Does this Spark an idea?

How Tanning Works

When a person uses a tanning bed the outer layer of skin, or the epidermis, is stimulated by UVB light. The special cells activated by this stimulation are called melanocytes, which produce a pigment known as melanin. Melanin spreads through the epidermis, being absorbed by surrounding skin cells, and is then oxidized by UVA light, which causes the skin to darken.

Types of Beds

Tanning beds are made either with 16 bulbs, 24 bulbs or 32 bulbs. There are also stand-up tanning booths, or vertical tanning booths, that have bulbs located behind Plexiglass completely surrounding the person tanning, much like with a regular tanning bed. Both of these methods of tanning expose the user to controlled amounts of radiation for a set amount of time.

Types of Bulbs

Several different types of light bulbs may be used in tanning beds. The most common one is called a bi-pin light bulb, which has two pins that slide into the bed's lamp holders and are rotated into place. A newer style of bulb being used is the recessed dual connector bulb, which allows the bulb to be sprung in and out of the bed's lamp holder. Most tanning beds today use 80- or 100-watt high output bulbs. For the bulbs to be the brightest they can be, they should be changed as specifically suggested by the tanning bed manufacturer.