Basic Forms
Tanning bed bulbs are designed to produce the same effect as the sun's rays while allowing the user to stay indoors and spend less time exposed to the sun. However, the sun emits UVA, UVB and UVC rays while a tanning bed emits only UVA and UVB rays.
Tanning bed bulbs give off fluorescent light, and are available in high pressure, which are 3- to 5-inch long tubes that contain quartz, and low pressure, which are available in differing wattages, ranging from 80 to 200 watts. When plugged in, the bulbs are designed to (much like the sun's effects) penetrate the skin's layers to stimulate melanin production, which results in a tanned appearance.
Ratings
Each tanning bed bulb comes with a rating, which essentially measures the ratio of UVA rays to UVB rays in the bulb. A rating of 5 percent signifies that a bulb contains 5 percent UVB rays and 95 percent UVA rays. Tanning bed users can determine the type of bulb they wish to utilize in their tanning bed based on their desired result. For example, the more UVB a bulb has, the faster a person will get tan (these types of bulbs are often referred to as "hot" bulbs). However, the higher the amount of UVA rating a bulb has, the darker a person will get (these are often referred to a "bronzing" bulbs).
While the bulbs in the tanning bed may be colors ranging from blue to purple to green, the color of the bulb does not affect how the ultraviolet rays work.
When electricity is powered to the tanning bed, the bulbs give off varying forms of ultraviolet light. Over time, these UVA and UVA rays penetrate the outer layers of the skin to stimulate melanin production.
Replacement
The life of a tanning bed bulb often depends on the type of bulb it is as well as the frequency of its use. While bulbs may still give off light, eventually they will no longer produce the ultraviolet light needed to achieve a tanned appearance.
For example, a high pressure bulb typically lasts anywhere from 300 to 1,000 hours before it is no longer effective. Even if the bulb seems to be effective past the 1,000-hour mark, it is a good idea to change the bulb in order to protect the integrity of the tanning bed's infrastructure. A low pressure bulb lasts from 300 to 1,600 hours.
