Did you know? Educating our customers about the tanning experience is one of the main reasons why tanners come to us, and stay with us! We want to educate you about the tanning process - so you can make an informed decision about how you, as an individual, should tan indoors and outdoors. At Suntana, it's more than just the end result of a great tan. It's about the experience itself. At what other time during the day do you have the opportunity to lie in warmth, close your eyes, and think about absolutely nothing - or even fall asleep? Our days are so filled with activity that sometimes a Suntana experience is our only designated time to get away from everything. You deserve a stress relief and a Suntana Experience is just that!

Benefits of Indoor tanning Mother Nature had it right all along Mother Nature had it right all along: Tanning is natural. It’s what your body is designed to do. Just like you need air, food and water, you need sunlight to survive. It’s easy to lose sight of the truth. TanningTruth.com exists to help us cut through the hype and scares and myths, and rediscover moderate sunlight and all its benefits. We , at Suntana endorse this and we are pleased to serve you under a controlled environment and equally pleased that you choose us as your most trusted tanning studio. Your Source for Vitamin D UV-B rays are the main source of Vitamin D for our bodies, which helps to promote healthy bones and the absorption of calcium and phosphorous in the body. Sunlight is the body's only natural and reliable source of Vitamin D. Studies suggest that this vitamin - linked to the prevention of breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cancers - cannot be reliably supplemented in our diet. Holick, Dr. M., et al. "Sunlight Regulates…" Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 68:882, 1989. Matsuoka, L., et al. "Suntanning and Cutaneous Synthesis of Vitamin D3" Journal of Clinical Medicine. 116:87, 1990. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) 70% of patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) show improvement after UV treatment, the only known cure for the "winter blues". Wirz-Justice, A., et al. "Light Therapy in Seasonal Affective Disorder is Dependent on Time of Day or Circadian Phase" Arch Gen Psychiatry. 50:929, 1993. Reduce your risk of Heart Disease Exposure to sunlight may have similar effects as exercise; decreased blood pressure, lower resting heart rate, a 39% increase in the output of blood. UV light is also known to help breakdown cholesterol. Falkenbach, Dr. A., et al. "Heart Rate Fitness Variability…" Biological Effects of Light. New York, Walter de Gruyter, 1992. Increase your Metabolism Sunlight stimulates the thyroid gland, which boosts your metabolism. Hollwich, Fritz, The influence of Ocular Light Perception on Metabolism in Man and in Animal. New York: Springer Verlag, 1979. Minimize your risk of Osteoporosis Because UV exposure produces Vitamin D which helps in the absorption of calcium into bones, you could decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis. "Interim Report and Recommendations for Osteoporosis", World Health Organization's Task Force for Osteoporosis, November 4, 1999. Reduce Specific types of Cancers Many types of cancer - including breast, colon, prostate and ovarian - are slowed or inhibited by increased exposure to sunlight. Some recent studies suggest that people receiving adequate amounts of vitamin D from UV exposure are 50% less likely to develop most cancers. Garland, Dr. C., et al. "Calcium and Colon Cancer: Clinical Nutrition. July/August pgs. 161-166, 1986. February 2006 issue of The American Journal of Public Health Reduce Common Colds Ten minutes of exposure to ultraviolet light 1-3 times per week reduces the frequency of colds up to 40.3%. Kime, Dr. Z. Sunlight. Penryn, CA: World Health Publications, 1980.

Other Important Health Facts As taken from the Smart Tan Network's Tanning Facts The significant risks involved with ultraviolet light are attributed to over-exposure - not to moderate tanning. No study has ever linked moderate tanning - indoors or outdoors - as a causative factor of any kind of permanent skin damage. Sunburn and heredity, on the other hand, are the main risk factors for skin damage. Surveys have shown that indoor tanners are less likely to sunburn when they are outdoors. Indoor tanning units are designed to help you minimize your risk of sunburn. Indoor tanners are 80% less likely to sunburn outdoors than non-tanners. Cancer rates are higher in sun deprived areas of the world and decrease significantly as one gets closer to the equator. A 1994 study shows that Northern women have 5 times greater risk of ovarian cancer than Southern women who receive more direct sun exposure. Malignant melanoma skin cancer is most common in people who do not receive regular sun exposure, and most frequently develops on parts of the body that are not regularly exposed to sunlight.

Recent Research UVB in Sunlight Makes Vitamin D Naturally. Exposure to UVB present in sunshine and in most tanning beds is the body’s natural way to produce vitamin D, accounting for 90 percent of vitamin D production. Dietary “supplements” are just that: Supplemental ways to produce vitamin D. Research has shown that people who utilize indoor tanning equipment that emits UVB - which most tanning equipment does - also produce vitamin D. And studies have also shown that indoor tanning clients have higher vitamin D blood levels than non-tanners. While the North American indoor tanning industry promotes itself as a cosmetic service, one undeniable side-effect of that cosmetic service is vitamin D production. Even though it is not necessary to develop a tan to produce vitamin D, this should be considered: Because research suggests that the risks associated with sun exposure are most likely related to intermittent sunburns, it is credible to believe that the benefits of regular, moderate non-burning exposure outweigh the easily manageable risks associated with overexposure. New research has shown that vitamin D deficiency is epidemic in American adults today, suggesting that up to 90 percent of North Americans are vitamin D deficient. Indeed, Canada hosted two world-wide conferences on Vitamin D this spring, with universal consensus that vitamin D deficiency is a huge problem. It is likely that over-usage of sunscreen in climates and seasons when sunburn is not a possibility -- sunscreen almost completely prevents vitamin D production -- has contributed to this problem. This is especially significant because: A 2006 systematic review of 63 studies on vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk has shown that vitamin D sufficiency may reduce one’s risk of colon, breast and ovarian cancers by up to 50 percent. The landmark paper, published in the February 2006 issue of The American Journal of Public Health, is perhaps the most comprehensive paper on vitamin D written to date. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency is a leading cause of osteoporosis, a disease affecting 25 million Americans which leads to 1 million hip and bone fractures every year. In elderly individuals, such fractures are often deadly. Encouraging everyone to wear sunscreen all year long in any climate undoubtedly is contributing to this problem, as vitamin D is necessary for the body to properly process calcium. Vitamin D deficiency most likely plays a role in the development of muscular sclerosis, according to the Calgary based charity Direct-MS. (You can learn more about this by visiting www.direct-ms.org.) Vitamin D deficiency is also believed to be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer and even heart disease. Three excellent resources for more information on vitamin D are available through the Smart Tan network. Additionally, a new Canadian Group, the Vitamin D Society, has been launched in 2006 to educate Canadians about Vitamin D deficiency and fund new Vitamin D research. Its web site is www.vitaminDsociety.org. “Current research indicates vitamin D deficiency plays a role in causing 17 varieties of cancer, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects and periodontal disease,” the Vitamin D Council writes on its web site. “This does not mean that vitamin D is the only cause of these diseases, or that you will not get them if you take vitamin D. What it does mean is that vitamin D, and the many ways in which it affects a person’s health, can no longer be overlooked by the healthcare industry nor by individuals striving to maintain, or achieve, a greater state of health.” While public health officials have floundered at how to craft a message that recognizes the both the benefits of sunlight and the risks of overexposure, the professional indoor tanning industry has for more than a decade promoted a balanced message about sunlight. The tanning industry’s core belief: Moderate tanning, for individuals who can develop a tan, is the smartest way to maximize the potential benefits of sun exposure while minimizing the potential risks associated with either too much or too little sunlight. Sunburn prevention -- not sun avoidance – is the key. For more information: Visit www.TanningTruth.com or contact suntana@sympatico.ca