Laura and Paul Haenlein created Utopia Tan & Spa with a vision to provide clients with a high-end, wellness-oriented experience. From the start, they committed to premium equipment, including high-performance hybrid tanning beds. So, when they decided to add full-body red light therapy, they weren\u2019t going to settle for less than the best.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal was to have a more upscale tanning salon with brand new equipment. We have five hybrid tanning units. We\u2019re heavily into red light therapy. That\u2019s why we called it Utopia Tan and Spa. We\u2019re wellness. We want to heal your body,\u201d Laura says. \u201cThis area didn\u2019t have red light. Nobody had SmartSun Therapy; nobody had a real one. As a salon owner who is very well versed in light spectrums, you can\u2019t just take a tanning bed, throw some pink lamps in it, and call it red light therapy. That\u2019s a placebo.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow we have the amazing SST28 with the vibration plate that I can\u2019t say enough about. It\u2019s the biggest thing we\u2019ve put in my salon. It\u2019s worth its weight in gold.\u201d<\/p>\n
As they began planning for the salon, their first purchase was the POLY LED Red Light system. Paul, a military veteran who had undergone shoulder replacement surgery and suffers from chronic back pain, psoriasis, and eczema, found significant relief using the POLY at home. His positive experience reinforced their decision to make red light therapy a core focus of the business. Later, when considering full-body LED systems, their choice was clear after experiencing the SST28 firsthand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went to the National Tanning Expo in Nashville in 2023 and saw it and talked to [Smart Tan CEO] Matt [Russell],\u201d Laura says. \u201cI didn\u2019t like how other red light beds looked like a regular tanning bed. The reason we picked the SST28 was due to the fact that people have arthritis and bad backs, and they can get in and out so easily, and then it helps loosen up the joints and vertebrae.\u201d<\/p>\n
After opening the business in May 2023, they added the SST28 about a year later, and it quickly became the centerpiece of their wellness offerings, the perfect complement to their hybrid tanning equipment, and a fan-favorite amongst both their staff and clients.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith new clients, first we talk about the hybrid beds, explain the spectrums, then explain the POLY, then walk over and show them the SST and explain the 630nm red light with 850nm infrared. Our girls are highly trained to explain what it is and what it does. Clients sometimes say they used red light at another place, and we say, \u2018Sorry, unfortunately that is not a true red light therapy bed,\u2019\u201d Laura says.<\/p>\n
\u201cSmartSun Therapy is a game-changer for all of us. Every one of my girls use it, and they love it. One of my employees is in her 50s and started to lose inches. Another employee\u2019s skin is tightening. Personally, I\u2019m not using as much Botox now.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the device is marketed for temporary alleviation of mild muscle and joint discomfort and stiffness, minor arthritis discomfort or muscle spasms, temporary enhancement of local blood circulation, and temporary muscle relaxation, Utopia clients have reported a number of other effects from consistent usage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have several clients that struggle with MS, one has had four hip surgeries, another has chronic COPD, and people with knee problems. One client who has MS has his own hydroponic farm, and he could only stand for 30 minutes. Since using the SST28, he can now stand and work his farm for the entire day, This is tremendous healing that we have been able to witness and experience ourselves,\u201d Laura says.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegular use of that bed three times a week or more has absolutely been astounding to see how many people are receiving the full benefits of how deep it goes in the epidermal tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, the introduction of SmartSun Therapy has not only been a game-changer for the owners, staff and clients, but also for the business from a financial perspective. While they were advised to introduce the service at a higher price point, after analyzing the demographics in their area, the Haenleins priced a 12-session package at $120 and single sessions at $50. Members at their top-tier Diamond Wellness level at $99.95 per month get unlimited access to POLY red light and Halotherapy but can also add 12 SST28 sessions per month for an additional $70 upcharge per month.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we have a new client who has never seen red light in their life, when they get to the SST28, they\u2019re like \u201cOh, what is that?\u2019 The way it\u2019s decorated, they just want to be in that room,\u201d Laura says. \u201cAdding those upgrades has boosted our monthly revenue as well as the $120 for 12 visits. There are people who won\u2019t tan but are switching to red light so we\u2019re not losing that client.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Laura and Paul Haenlein created Utopia Tan & Spa with a vision to provide clients with a high-end, wellness-oriented experience. From the start, they committed to premium equipment, including high-performance hybrid tanning beds. So, when they decided to add full-body red light therapy, they weren\u2019t going to settle for less than the best. \u201cThe goal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n