The role of red light in tanning businesses is becoming increasingly prominent. Hybrid equipment that combines UV and red light LED technology is now front and center in more salons than ever. Non-UV red light devices also continue to be an important element of many salons’ spa service diversification and all-access EFT programs.

Today, we know that red light works and can continue to be a growing part of our business. But some of the devices commonly featured in tanning businesses have limitations. Economical low-pressure devices that are common in tanning businesses do not provide the output that new LED technology does, and the results are reflective of that fact. Facial devices with red light LEDs are fantastic but do not provide full-body exposure. Bottom line, if you want to make money with red light therapy, you need equipment that provides significant results.

The SmartSun Therapy SST 28 is a full-body, high-output device that incorporates advanced LED red light technology with targeted near-infrared lights that provide a completely different set of benefits for customers. Designed specifically for tanning salons, the SST28 incorporates red light, and near-infrared light into a full-body unit that boasts 28,043 high-output LEDs, making it 20-30 times more powerful than a low-pressure red light bed and providing results that are unparalleled by any other device on the market. The unit is specifically designed NOT to look like a clamshell tanning bed, putting the light source closer to the user (Red light LED output diminishes quickly with distance), and to make it obvious that this is something completely different than a sunbed.

This type of therapeutic technology is currently found in wellness groups, health spas, and professional sports team facilities, to name a few. There’s a reason for that. It works! The Smart Sun Therapy device has been in tanning salons for up to four years now, with professional salon owners profiting from the myriad benefits in a number of ways. Salons across the country are selling packages and increasing their membership EFTs. This new technology is bringing in new customers and providing new ways to generate revenue outside of conventional tanning services.

Glo Sun Spa’s Todd Earnhart was among the first tanning operators to utilize this technology in his stores. With 25 Glo locations featuring extensive spa options, Earnhart says he’s constantly inundated with proposals from manufacturers of different types of spa equipment who want to get their products in his stores. But this light therapy device is among the most impressive option he’s ever come across. It’s also proven to be among the most profitable.

“I knew it was going to be a hit because we were already successful with red light facial rejuvenation. For red light technology to work the way it’s supposed to, it has to be so close in proximity to the skin. So, this is the first device we’ve found worldwide that puts the canopy lamps right on you to where it’s truly effective. With every location we put these units in, we had to order another within 30 days. That’s strictly because people are seeing and feeling the results,” Earnhart says.

“It has been one of the most impactful services we’ve added in 20 years. A tanning salon markets to a very small target audience, but when you start integrating services without UV that make people look and feel better, talk about broadening your target market. In recent years, more and more consumers have become familiar with red and infrared light and the benefits. The timing was good, and we have very large database of clients. When you have that kind of income opportunity, it’s our job to put services and products in front of those people that appeal to them.”

Dennis Ligon, owner of 22 Sunday’s Blue Box Sun Spa’s locations, has used these devices for four years and says they’ve brought in people who would have never considered indoor tanning. Yet, after seeing his advanced UV equipment, many have converted to “All Access” customers. “I had a 50-year-old man that came in for the red light service and asked what that cool machine was in the other room. After learning it was a tanning bed he said, ‘I’ve never tanned in a tanning bed. Let’s give it a try.’ He’s one of our best customers now,” Ligon says.

We are exposed to UV light, red light, near-infrared light, and the entire sunlight spectrum when we’re outdoors. This is what nature intended. These devices have harnessed these different wavelengths to offer the benefits associated with these wavelengths while minimizing the risks by regulating the dosages in a controlled environment under the supervision of a certified operator.

Smart Sun Therapy creates an opportunity to show customers that all of our devices emit very specific wavelengths of sunlight providing users with the same energy we find in nature. Carly White from Pacific Tan salons in Michigan says this new thinking has changed the way she trains her staff and how they deliver their salon tour to their customers.

“My entire team has changed the way they see our business now,” White says. “By discussing Smart Sun Therapy with customers first, we are making them aware that the services we provide are controlled dosages of different sunlight wavelengths. I believe this new approach opens their minds to better understand the premise that we are sunlight providers.”