The TanWall Blog

Spring is slowly approaching, but we are still seeing strange bouts of inconsistent weather and the cold still lingers. According to some business owners, as in this article, the cold is good for the tanning business.  

Part of the tanning experience is feeling warm and comfortable, cozy in the tanning booth. This feeling of well-being is increased when a tanning salon has a cozy ambiance and friendly employees. It is like a short vacation for the customer, away from day to day worries and the cold outside when temperatures are low.

Tanning makes many customers feel good and allows them to relax, in addition to giving them an attractive skin tone and that accompanying feeling of good personal health and physical self esteem.

Not only that, but the vitamin D generated from tanning helps for deficiency levels, especially during the winter months when the sun is weak or even obscured.

It is for these reasons that the tanning business does so well in many parts of the country when the weather gets cold and the sky gets gray. Keep warm everyone! Spring is on its way!

This year, building up a tanning salon will be even easier thanks to the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.” Provisions in the new tax code allow for generous depreciation benefits when it comes to buying modular salon walls. Allow us to explain.

Basically, when it comes to tax depreciation (the time it takes to recoup costs of purchased business property in the form of tax savings), there is real property and personal property. Real property, which is basically land based property and immovable, such as hard construction, takes 39 years to depreciate. Personal property on the other hand, is generally movable property or equipment, which takes only 7 years to depreciate.

Modular construction usually happens to fall under the category of personal property, which allows it to depreciate faster, thus allowing you to recoup your costs in tax savings faster than if you were to use hard construction. This is a major plus when it comes to purchasing modular walls for your salon.

Changes in this year’s tax code could make those benefits even more attractive.

Previously, in the course of a depreciation schedule, a piece of personal property allows tax savings worth 50% of the original cost of the property in the first year. In every subsequent year (within a 7 year period), that percentage decreases, until the value of the property is recouped.

However, according to the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010,” bonus depreciation in the first year has been increased to a full 100%. That means the cost of a property bought by a business to be used by that business can now be recovered in one year!

Qualifying businesses can couple this bonus depreciation with the updated Section 179 code: Businesses can expense up to an increased maximum of $500,000 for qualifying property in the 2010 and 2011 tax years. Over 2 million dollars in purchases will lower that expense amount however.

One thing to keep in mind is this: at the beginning of the 2012 tax year, the section 179 deduction amount will be reduced to $125,000. The phase-out begins with $500,000 in property purchased. Also, 179 applies to a business’ taxable income, so if a company is losing income or has very little, 179 does not help.

This is a great time to expand you business or simply build up/remodel your tanning salon. Now when you buy a modular tanning booth wall, the cost of that purchase can be recovered via tax savings in not just 7 years, but 1 year. However, there is a small window when this is possible. This tax break is effective for property bought and put to use between September 8, 2010 and December 31, 2010. After that period is over, bonus depreciation during the first year goes back to 50%. Also, some salons can take advantage of increased savings by coupling the increased bonus depreciation with the updated Section 179 expensing.

We encourage all of our customers to take advantage of this great tax incentive! Talk to a tax expert and see what sort of tax benefits you can work out.

Many tanners wonder what method of indoor UV tanning works best: standing up in a tanning booth or lying down in a tanning bed. This article will outline the pros and cons of both methods and then you can decide for yourself which method is best for you.

Tanning Booth Pros

• More sanitary. The tanner is standing up in the booth, so the only point of contact of the tanner’s body is the soles of their feet on the booth floor. Less body contact means less chance of encountering unsanitary conditions.
• Less points of skin contact mean a more even tan. In a tanning bed, skin is being pressed down onto the acrylic, possibly causing folds and obscuring regions of skin. All of the tanner’s skin is evenly tanned in a tanning booth, and the tanner can raise their arms and get harder to reach regions to tan.
• Faster tan times. A tanning booth usually features more intense UV bulbs, so you get the same tan as a bed but in less time.

Tanning Booth Cons

• Possibly uncomfortable. The tanner has to stand for the duration of the tanning session, possibly becoming tired.
• More intense UV bulbs could increase the risk of burn if proper tanning guidelines aren’t followed, though most tanning salons are very stringent about following safe tanning guidelines.

Tanning Bed Pros

• Tanning beds are said to be more relaxing. The tanner can lie down in an air conditioned bed and listen to music for a highly relaxing tanning session.
• Less intense UV bulbs mean less of a chance for burning, and if the tanner prefers, a longer session for enduring relaxation.
• Closer to the traditional outdoor method of tanning: of lying down, relaxing, and soaking up the rays.

Tanning Bed Cons

• Because a tanner’s skin makes contact with the acrylic on the beds, there’s the possibility of an uneven tan due to skin creases.  
• Skin contact from previous tanners on the tanning beds could provide health concern, though any legitimate tanning salon will thoroughly clean and disinfect their tanning beds, catching any bacteria that weren’t already killed by the UV.  

So as you can see, each method of UV tanning is different. In the end, each method will cater to two main types of tanners with different central aims. The tanning booth will cater to the first type of tanner, the tanner who is primarily at the salon to get an even, effective tan in the smallest amount of time possible. The tanning bed is going to cater to the second type of tanner, the tanner who has come to the salon not only to get a tan, but to lie down and relax and reap the psychological benefits of a tanning visit.

Getting that perfect bronze tan is not that difficult, you just have to follow the tips below on how to get a great tan. And always remember, it is important to practice safe tanning at all times.

1. Don’t Burn

This tip is pertaining to tanning safety. The number 1 rule of safe tanning is to not burn. Don’t overdue it whether you are using a booth or sitting outside in the sun. If you don’t yet have a base tan, spend [5-10] minutes tanning and then work your way up from there. The important thing is to not burn.

Tanning is a result of the body producing melanin in order to protect itself from the sun’s rays. This is a natural adaptive effect built into the skin. However, if you burn, that is an indication that the skin has gotten too much sun.

2. Prepare skin

Before tanning, prepare your skin to ensure optimal melanin creation and retention. Dead skin cells on your body can prevent optimal melanin formation and retention, so scrub it off in the shower with a gentle abrasive. Exfoliate. After the shower, make sure [to] use a moisturizer to retain your skin’s moisture. Consistently moist skin will tan better and retain the tan for a longer amount of time.

3. Use Tanning Lotion

Tanning lotion speeds up the tanning process and gets you a base tan quicker without spending too much time under the UV rays. Different tanning lotions feature different types of tan shades, so you can get the tan you want.

4. Moisturize

You will want to moisturize after tanning as well. Remember, consistently moist skin will help to retain your tan for longer. Maintain a daily regimen of moisturizing so that your tan will last.

5. Let the tan do its work

After tanning, try not to shower and engage in a water activity for at least 3 hours. You have to let your skin continue to tan.

If you follow these 5 simple tips, you [are] on your way to achieving that perfect, long lasting tan.

There is quite a buzz going on in the scientific and medical communities concerning the benefits of Vitamin D. Researchers are finding that Vitamin D can help prevent many diseases and ailments and that there is an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency going on right now in the US, possibly leading to increased risk of disease and illness.

More and more studies done by scientific, nutritional, and medical organizations across the globe are indicating the high importance of Vitamin D. These organizations cite positive facts and negative facts to support their findings.

Positive Facts

Various studies have shown that the presence of sufficient levels of Vitamin D can lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, bone deficiencies, and certain cancers.

Vitamin D serves as an activator of autoimmune T-cells that neutralize foreign antibodies in the bloodstream. Basically, having sufficient Vitamin D levels will boost your immune system and make you more resilient to the flu and colds.

Vitamin D can also help with weight loss and mood regulation, among other things.

Negative Facts

Studies have found that there is an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency in the US, accounting for a higher frequency of certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases in the general population.

Immune systems are believed to be affected by this deficiency as well, so that more people are more prone to colds.

Possible causes of the nation’s Vitamin D deficiency could be due to more time spent indoors, since a large portion of our Vitamin D comes from sunshine. Also, sun-scare sentiment which leads to practives such as wearing long sleeves, putting on sunscreen, and altogether staying out of the sun can be seen to be responsible for our lack of Vitamin D.

I have the facts, so how do I get my Vitamin D?

The best way to get Vitamin D is through sunshine. Specialists recommend getting 10-15 minutes a day of unblocked sunshine. This is more than enough to exceed the new proposed 1000 IUs a day of Vitamin D. You can also get Vitamin D from a tanning bed.

Vitamin D can be found in certain foods such as fish and milk.

During periods of time when we can’t get enough sunshine, or during the wintertime, it might also be prudent to take Vitamin D supplements

So now you know the facts. Vitamin D is quickly becoming an important factor in daily nutrition. Don’t let the medical/dermatological interests scare you into staying out of the sun. Get some sun every day but be sure not to overdo it. Your body will thank you with good health.