Sun-Kissed Skin

If you are ready to have a tan before warmer weather arrives, be sure to visit Golden Tan.

In recent years, sunlight has gotten a “bad rap” as discussion of ozone depletion and skin cancer has taken the forefront. As a result, society has made a complete 180 degree turn from the sun worshipping trend of the 1980’s to a complete paranoia of sunlight that would rival that of the mythical vampires.

Yet people still enjoy having that healthy, golden sun-kissed look. And more importantly, people still need Vitamin D, which is mainly supplied by sunlight. “Adults are often deficient in this vitamin, thinking they get enough from milk when they really do not,” states Cheryl McIntyre, who co-owns Broken Arrow’s Golden Tan with her husband, Bill. “People used to work outside all the time and got plenty of sunlight and Vitamin D. Now a lot of people stay inside, on the computer.”

Cheryl goes on to point out that many people do not know they can obtain needed Vitamin D from regular use of a tanning bed, without fear of a depleted ozone layer. In fact, Dr. Michael Holick, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine contends that “sunlight avoidance has contributed to a vitamin D deficiency epidemic in our population. Carefully measured exposure through other light sources—such as that supplied in tanning beds—can help supply what natural sunlight did for so may years.”

Many people, however, still worry that the concentrated exposure might still pose more danger than a day on the beach. Not so, according to Dr. Holick. “Most people actually get less UV Exposure in a tanning bed than they do on a beach. A person who goes to the beach on a summer day without any sunscreen at all is getting far more UV exposure than in a tanning bed.”

So it is settled. Obtaining needed sunlight and a lovely tan is as easy as lying down on a tanning bed for a few minutes each session, right? According to Cheryl the answer is both yes and no. “There are several ways to get the most from your tanning experience,” she explains. “On your first visit to Golden Tan, our staff will help you determine your skin type. Everyone has a different level of Melanacyte in their skin and will require different amounts of time to achieve their desired results.” Once your skin type has been determined, a tanning regimen will be set up for you using Golden Tan’s Ultrabronze High Pressure UVA Tanning Equipment. Or you can boost your tanning results by using a mixture of Ultrabronze and Golden Tan’s powerful 52 bulb dark tanning VHR bed.

Cheryl stresses the importance of moisture to get the most of your tanning experience and strongly recommends the use of a tanning lotion. But all tanning lotions are not created equally. In fact, indoor tanning lotions are completely different from the outdoor variety. That’s why Golden Tan offers a wide variety of quality indoor tanning lotions, all specially formulated to help the skin absorb the proper amount of ultraviolet light while still retaining the moisture necessary to obtain an effective tan. The staff at Golden Tan also sets out spray bottles of water so that clients can keep skin hydrated during tanning sessions.

To protect your eyes, Cheryl insists you use federally approved eyewear during your tanning session. Since your eyelids are thin and offer no real protection against ultraviolet exposure, this is extremely important. Golden Tan’s eyewear allows no leaking around the edges and protects your eyes from 99.9 percent of UVB and 99 percent of UVA rays.

So if you are ready to put on a tan before you put on your shorts, be sure to visit Golden Tan in Broken Arrow and talk to Cheryl and her staff about the many benefits of tanning and controlled sunlight exposure.

Quotes by Dr. Michael Holick are taken from Today’s Image Magazine, “From Adulation to Restoration” by Linda Jacobsen-Kossoff, May 2003 and “The Right Answer” by Tamra Orr, December 2004.

For more information, contact

Golden Tan

(918) 451-4653

(GOLD)