As more tanning businesses gravitate toward wellness-focused services and branding, the gap between those gaining traction and those struggling is becoming clear: wellness isn’t something you add—it’s something you become.

You can invest in state-of-the-art equipment. You can install new signage. You can even update your name. But unless the entire experience evolves alongside those changes, customers will continue to see you—and treat you—like the tanning salon you used to be.

Creating a professional wellness environment requires a fundamental shift in how a business presents itself, how staff interacts with guests, how expectations are set, and how the physical space supports the promise being made. It’s not about becoming a luxury day spa. It’s about becoming credible, consistent, and intentional in every detail.

Salon owners like Emily Sigmon of Carolina Tan & Wellness, Bridget Holleran Coe of Baja Beach Wellness, and Lori VanDeWall of Beach House Tanning Salon have all taken that journey from different starting points. Their experiences reveal a shared truth: wellness succeeds when it’s treated as a system—not a service.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.