When considered in the context of the historical human relationship with the sun, the indoor tanning industry is truly in its infancy. Unlike today when a pale face is often considered a sign of failing health, a pale complexion used to be considered a status symbol of wealth, power, and wisdom.
Evidence of this can be clearly seen throughout time and across cultures. The women of ancient Greece and Rome used lead-based cosmetics to lighten their complexions. Modern-day Japanese geishas continue the tradition of their forebears by wearing white makeup. In Elizabethan England, women actually used to paint faint blue lines on their faces to lend a translucent quality to their complexions. Even the belles of America”s South wouldn”t step one foot outside during daylight hours without their trusty parasols.
The preoccupation with pale shifted dramatically in the mid-1920s when French designer Coco Chanel sported a golden bronze tan at a fashion show after cruising from Paris to Cannes. Around the same time, Josephine Baker, an African American singer from St. Louis, Missouri, was taking France by storm. Star-struck fashionistas, in an attempt to emulate Chanel and Baker, began a love affair with the sun-kissed look that continues today.
Just as the golden glow can trace its roots to Europe, so too can indoor tanning. The first indoor tanning equipment was developed in Europe as a means to treat medical disorders. Unfortunately, those early tanning bed lamps emitted harmful ultraviolet B (UVB) light, resulting in poor results and potentially dangerous burns.
In 1972, West German scientist Friedrich Wolff altered the wavelength of the light spectrum and was able to isolate ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. Unlike UVB rays, the long wavelength UVA rays produced tanning rather than burns. After spending three years developing this new technology, indoor tanning was introduced in Europe where it gained immediate acceptance.
In 1978, Wolff”s tanning bed lamp technology was incorporated into the design and manufacture of commercial tanning beds in the United States. The popularity of indoor tanning and the use of both commercial and residential tanning beds continues to grow at a tremendous clip.
According to the Indoor Tanning Industry, there are approximately 25,000 indoor tanning facilities throughout the United States that employ 160,000 people and contribute $5 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
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