health & fitness
tanning trend BY LAUREN REIDY
A dark-haired paleontologist walks into a tanning salon. He eagerly requests a Mystic Tan, the popular spray-on tan that promises to give your skin evenly distributed, golden color without exposing it to damaging ultra-violet light. The paleontologist nods as a salon worker issues a simple set of instructions. He puts on his swimsuit and steps into the Mystic Tan booth. Unfortunately simple instructions prove too complicated for the accident-prone paleontologist. By the time he leaves the salon, the booth has sprayed the front of his body four times, dyeing his skin the color of burnt tangerines. The back of his body remains as white as Alfredo sauce.
Such is life when you're the fictional Ross Geller, a character on NBC's hit sitcom. Friends. Fortunately for millions of Americans, this comedic episode does not represent the reality of the Mystic Tan tanning process.
The process is quick, easy and really does leave you with a natural-looking tan, says Mary Ellen Hall, owner of Jamaica Tan, 2311 Wakarusa Dr.
Since the Mystic Tan booths broke into the market in 1999, Americans have completed more than 2.5 million sessions, says Mystic Tan spokeswoman Heather Brown. Everyone from the fictional Ross Geller to the real-life Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad is taking advantage of the process.
Jamaica Tan joined more than 1,500 other salons across the nation in offering Mystic Tans this August. It is the only Lawrence salon to feature the process.
Hall says she began offering Mystic Tans because of client requests.
The appeal
you desire in record time.
So, what makes the Mystic Tan tanning process so popular?
For starters, tanning in the Mystic Tan booth can give you the sun-kissed color
During the 60-second session, the Mystic Tan booth gives you color that continues to darken for the next 24 hours. In a day, you have a golden tan that could take multiple sessions in a tanning bed or hours in the sun to acquire.
Kristen Sanders, Kansas City, Kan., freshman, says she wanted her skin to be tan for an upcoming event and opted to try tanning in a Mystic Tan booth.
"It worked really well," Sanders says. "I had dark color after one session."
The Mystic Tan tanning process can also help people whose skin types prevent then from developing a tan naturally, Hall says. Some people darken naturally while others just burn. Mystic Tan tanning works for everyone.
But there are more important benefits to tanning in a Mystic Tan booth than quick color. The sunless tanning process can help you maintain your health and appearance.
People who tan outside or in tanning
beds expose their skin to damaging ultra-violet light, says Lawrence dermatologist Lee Bittenbender. Chronic tanning can cause sunburns, photo aging and long-term health problems such as skin cancer.
Bittenbender says that chronic ultraviolet exposure contributes to the 800,000 new cases of basal cell skin cancer in the United States every year, as well as cases of potentially fatal malignant melanoma.
"You're best choice is to use a spray-on tan," Bittenbender says. "You get the look without the damaging effects. Just remember, if your skin is tan from ultraviolet light, it's damaged."
The Process
Once you've elected to tan in a Mystic Tan tanning booth, tanned skin is only eight, simple steps away.
1. Work out, shower, shave, exfoliate.
6 jayplay
thursday. november 6, 2003