John Abaté, President of John Abaté International

Editor's Note: This is the eighth installment of a series of articles written by John Abaté International, a leading tanning lotion and skincare manufacturer. As the maker of a complete line of high-quality products and promoter of sensible, moderate and responsible tanning, he offers insights on the technical and non-technical aspects of tanning and skincare.

The Q & A answers questions and concerns from readers like you--the consumer. If you would like John to address a specific skincare question, please direct your questions to SunWellness magazine at jbizzozero@vpico.com.

Q: Why does the staff at my tanning salon always insist on me wearing eyewear when tanning?

A: The importance of using protective eyewear while tanning can never be stressed enough. What value can you put on something that is so vital it is responsible for more than 80 percent of all the information we receive on a daily basis?

Although ultraviolet light offers the rays necessary for developing that beautiful, golden tan, this same light can be detrimental to unprotected eyes. The federal government along with many state agencies require that anyone using a tanning device do so only while wearing eyewear that blocks out 99.9 percent of UVB light and 99 percent of UVA light. These are two types of UV light used in the tanning process.

The eyelid is too thin to be able to protect the eyes from UV light penetration. So, unless you are using federally complaint eyewear offered by your professional indoor tanning salon, you might not have the adequate protection needed to safeguard your eyesight.

Q: Please explain the difference between a sunblock and a sunscreen.

A: Quite simply, sunblocks obstruct UV light with opaque ingredients like the white zinc oxide used by many lifeguards, while sunscreens can both block and absorb UV light depending on the product. One of the most common of the absorption chemicals is PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid). Other absorbing chemicals include cinamates, benzophenones and anthranilates.

It doesn't matter if you're tanning outdoors or indoors, avoiding sunburn should be an important part of your tanning regime. To help avoid sunburn, sunscreens and sunblocks are labeled with an SPF, or Sun Protective Factor. A product's SPF is a measure for determining how much time a person can remain in the sun without burning based on a person's tolerance to ultraviolet rays.

If you normally would be OK in the sun for 15 minutes and you apply an SPF 10 product, you should be OK in the sun for 150 minutes. You simply multiply the two factors to get the exposure potential. It is important to remember that you have to apply an ample amount (about 1.25 ounces for an adult full-body application) of the SPF product and it has to stay on during your exposure. Also, most products require you apply it about 30 minutes before going outdoors.

Q: Can the rays from a tanning bed damage my hair?

A: Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, outdoors or indoors, sometimes can be drying to the hair. This extreme exposure may cause a decomposition of tryptophan, an amino acid naturally occurring in human hair.

The use of the "photo filter," DDABDT (Escalol HP610), was found to reduce the extent of this process. If you're concerned about UV hair damage, you will be pleased to know that many hair products have resolved this issue through their inclusion of "photo filters." This is also the reason we designed JA UV Defense Shampoo to help screen out the effects of ultraviolet light on the hair while deeply rehydrating and conditioning the hair.

Q: Is a sunburn the first step in acquiring a tan?

NO. A suntan occurs when the melanocytes in the outer layer of the skin produce melanin pigment in response to UV exposure. Melanin production takes a bit of time to develop and darken--that is why most people can't tan in just one day.

A sunburn is a totally different process of the skin. A sunburn results when the amount of UV exposure exceeds the skin's natural tanning ability, sending an increase in blood flow to the affected area in an attempt to repair damage.

In the event of an unintentional sunburn, some products available at your indoor tanning salon will help relieve the symptoms of sunburning. John Abaté International offers a product called UV Repair with vitamin C. This product is excellent for soothing sunburned skin while promoting elasticity and collagen breakdown sometimes associated with overexposure and sunburn.