ist Magazine January 2022

Lamp Talk with Leif NEW

The UV/red lamps are considered tanning lamps with extra red phosphor added, and all carry the nec- essary compatibility for the OEM lamps they are replac- ing. These are only manufac- tured as low-pressure lamps; no high-pressure products have been researched or produced at this time. When you adjust a lamp’s phosphor content to produce more energy in a certain area of the light spectrum, in this case red light, you do tend

with hybrid light, because they are a different lamp that does not “pack the punch” a standard UV lamp does. Some salons will employ these lamp products in a UV unit and consider it a session upgrade, while others will offer it as a supplemental service in much the same way they do a traditional

The Buzz About Hybrids By Leif Vasstrom

red-light session. The benefits of sessions in

hybrid-light units are tough to explain, because the FDA does not allow

The UV/red lamps are con- sidered tanning lamps with extra red phosphor added, and all carry the nec- essary compat- ibility for the OEM lamps they are replacing.

our industry to make any

to lose energy in other areas. So, with these lamps, there is some loss of the UVB and/ or UVA ener- gy. Depending on the amount

claims regarding red-light lamps, and that includes hybrid types. Simply tell your guests that they are tanning lamps with extra red in them. How you explain it is up to you; but do not pro-

Q: I’d like to know more details about the combination UV/red-light/blue-light lamps. How well do they perform for the “UV crowd” and what percentage of UV does the lamp offer if “sharing space” with other lightwave spectrums? Will the RL or BL provide enough results for customers to actually see or feel? What benefits can I truthfully tell them to expect? Would this be considered a UV customer upgrade, or the same service? That’s a lot of questions, I know; but I need to understand this better. Thanks, LjM

of red phos- phor added,

the lamp could lose up to 45%

of the UVB/UVA. There is give and take depending on how much of the red phosphor is added. Red-light lamps have been in the market for a long time now, such as in the Ergoline Beauty Angel and of course, many salon owners are re-lamping older tanning units with red-light lamps. Customers’ opinions have varied and it is no different with the hybrid lamps. The salons we have tested have the same wide-ranging feed- back as with red-light units; some love the lamps and feel they have a “fresher” tanning experience, and others just want the UVB and aren’t into the hybrid-style lamps. Salon guests can expect a different tanning experience

vide any opinions regarding the benefits of red light. „

About the Author: Industry veteran Leif Vasstrom founded Napa, CA-based Supra

Brands Group in 2004, and has been at the forefront of sunlamp innovation since 1978. He opened the first tanning salon in NYC on Madison Avenue in 1978. In 1985, his company designed the Breeze Salon Software and business man- agement program, acquired by SunLync in 2003. He launched the Silver Solarium equipment line in 1978, and Dr. Müller systems in 1993. In 1986, he helped start Applied Digital (T-Max). In 2011, Supra acquired industry forum

A: Great question! There is current- ly a buzz in the market regarding UVA/red/ blue hybrid lamp products. I’ve heard some whispers about the UV lamps with blue light, but haven’t actu- ally seen a UV/blue lamp or tanning unit in the market. As for the UV/red-light lamps, or hybrid lamps as many call them, those seem

to be growing in popularity. I know JK Products and KBL currently offer systems that utilize UV/red lamps. As a result, many of my custom- ers have asked about the availability of these lamps to install in their salon custom- ers’ existing equipment. At the moment, some manu- facturers have produced a couple versions of UV/red lamps as private label brands.

tantoday.com as a means to fur- ther the message about the positive aspects of moder- ate UV exposure.

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January 2022 istmagazine.com