What is High Pressure Tanning and How Does it Work?

The special High Pressure lamps are more powerful and have a higher pressure than atmospheric air pressure. Normal fluorescent tubes have lower pressure than atmospheric pressure. High Pressure lamps filter out most of the UVB present in low pressure tubes and emit just sufficient to stimulate the production of melanin. Substantially increased amounts of UVA are produced in High Pressure lamps to oxidise the melanin and produce a tan.

We normally exfoliate (shed) our outer layer of skin every 28 days. The high levels of UVB emitted by the sun and low pressure tubes will accelerate this cycle to 7-9 days and tans fade fairly quickly. This is because the high level of burning UVB rays causes the outer layer of skin to thicken as a defence mechanism in order to protect the deeper layers. This process prevents the deeper layers of skin from tanning and can contribute to premature ageing of the skin.

High Pressure lamps emit high levels of UVA and low levels of UVB and the outer layer of skin does not thicken. This enables the second and third layers of skin to tan. A quicker, deeper, longer lasting tan is produced as exfoliation returns to its normal 28 day cycle. There is minimal contribution to dry skin and premature ageing.

In simple terms UVB rays have the tanning capacity of the Mediterranean early morning sun but the burning capacity of the Mediterranean mid-day sun. UVA rays have the burning capacity of the early morning sun and the tanning capacity of the mid-day sun. It is essential that the skin is not allowed to burn as this is the major cause of serious skin ailments.

High Pressure Tanning equipment is vastly more expensive than low pressure and incurs higher running costs. Whilst, therefore, sessions cost more it is not necessary to tan as often. Overall it is more cost effective to use High Pressure equipment.

The Tanning Studio offers the choice of either the All High Pressure ISO Italia Matrix V28 Vertical, (voted The World's Best Vertical HP) or the Combination High Pressure Facial / Low Pressure Body Hapro X10 52 Sli High Intensive Laydown or the ISO Italia Matrix L18 Laydown.