In addition to visible light, sunlight mainly consists of infrared radiation, which we perceive as heat and about 5 percent of ultraviolet radiation (UV).

• UV-C radiation does not penetrate the earth's atmosphere and therefore it does not reach the earth's surface.
• The UV-B radiation is weakened by the ozone layer, but a small part of it reaches the earth's surface. UV-B radiation builds up our skin pigmentation and the development of vitamin D. If your skin gets too much UV-B radiation, you can get a sunburn.
• The UV-A radiation reaches the earth's surface almost without being hindered. Among other things, it ensures that your skin pigments become darker, which is visible as a direct tan on the skin.
• The intensity and exact composition of sunlight depends on various factors, such as the time of year and day, latitude, clouds, possible air pollution and reflection on the ground. At a tanning salon, there are only UV-A and UV-B rays inside the bed. These reach your skin in controlled doses.

To learn more about the effects of sunlight, check out the European Sunlight Association. There you will find more information about sun and health.

Your skin is constantly renewing itself, losing the upper skin cells in the process. With the right care you can ensure that your tan lasts longer. To do this we have some important tips for you:

1. Avoid long and hot showers as this can damage the protective acid layer on your skin. For gentle care it is best to use pH neutral shower lotions.
2. Always keep your skin hydrated. To do this, use moisturizing lotions and creams - right after tanning or after showering.
3. Support the moisture balance of your skin by drinking enough water, sugar-free spritzer or tea - at least 1.5 liters per day.
4. A visit to the tanning salon helps to keep that beautiful holiday sun kissed skin longer! Ask your local Ergoline salon for tips and an individual tanning plan.

When UV light hits your skin, your upper skin first reacts with a protective thick layer called a light callus. The UV-B part of the light stimulates the formation of the brown skin pigment melanin in the pigment cells of your skin. The skin cells enriched with melanin then migrate to the surface of the skin and provide the protective tan for your skin. Because this takes a while, you will gradually tan. The UV-A component in sunlight ensures that the melanin that has already been formed in the outer skin layers is colored, making your skin darker immediately.

When choosing the right tanning salon, be sure to pay attention to quality. This includes perfect cleaning and hygiene! However good advice is also a quality feature: the employees must give you free skin type advice on request and draw up a personal tanning plan for you. Additionally, in a good tanning salon you can always ask for free and freshly disinfected UV safety glasses. As well as the most modern tanning beds from well-known manufacturers, such as Ergoline, are available.

No, you should not apply sunscreen before using a tanning bed. In tanning salons, you will receive advice about the skin type and an individual tanning plan that is adapted to your skin type. The UV dose is accurately determined in the bed - 15 minutes on a modern tanning bed equivalents to about 25 minutes of German summer sun.

Do not use make-up, perfume or other cosmetic products while using a tanning bed. The combination of ultraviolet light and cosmetics can cause reactions to your skin in some cases. Therefore, it is best to tan, both in and outdoor, without make-up.

Sunlight contains UV rays that can damage your retina. While using a tanning bed you should keep your eyes closed and wear UV safety goggles. In tanning salons, you can receive such safety glasses for free with every session.

Don't worry, the special smell after tanning is very normal. This odor is believed to be caused by UV rays breaking down certain areas of your skin, such as fatty acids and sebum.

Going to the tanning bed during pregnancy is not a problem as the UV rays only penetrate the top layer of skin. If you can tolerate the natural sun and heat well and have no circulatory problems, that means you can also use the tanning bed. However, it is best to discuss this with your doctor beforehand. To protect your skin, you should definitely not over-tan.

No, you should avoid tanning while taking antibiotics - both in the natural sun and at the tanning salons. Most antibiotics, like some other drugs, have a photosensitizing effect. Your skin can therefore be very sensitive to UV radiation when swallowed. Always discuss this with your doctor.

No, you should protect a scar from the sun for at least three months with UV-resistant clothing or sunscreen. UV radiation can shift pigment in the wound area, causing the scarred skin to become permanently lighter or darker in color. If in doubt, consult your doctor.

No, you shouldn't. If you exceed your daily dose of UV radiation, you risk sunburn. There must be at least 48 hours between two visits to the tanning salon. At tanning salons, you will receive an individual tanning plan that is adapted to your skin type. For your information, a maximum of 50 sessions is recommended all year round.

This is because some areas of the skin have more pigment-forming cells than others. For example, the inside of the arms and legs tan more slowly, while the outside tans faster. Your face also tans relatively slowly. Because it naturally has a thicker horny layer that is specially designed to protect against UV-B. Freckles and pigmentation spots, on the other hand, have a particularly large number of tanning pigments and therefore darken very quickly.

The areas of skin on which you lie on in the solarium have slightly less blood supply. This can lead to less discoloration of the pigments in these areas. As a result, the typical bright spots appear on the rump and shoulder blades when you have used a tanning bed. It is best to go to a tanning salon that have tanning beds with ergonomically shaped recliners or standing tanners.

If you are slightly sunburnt, take a few days off from the sun and regularly apply moisturizing care products to your skin. It is also important that you drink a lot during this time. If you have severe sunburn, it is best to consult a doctor or seek advice from the pharmacy. Important: When your sunburn is over, shorten your tanning time in the future and ask for advice about your own protection time in your tanning salon.

You don't have to sweat to get a tan! When the wind is blowing on the beach, you get just as tanned as when there is no wind. Modern tanning beds spoil you with powerful ventilation, air conditioning and in some cases even finely misted essences, for a particularly pleasant tanning experience. This refreshment function is also called "Aqua Fresh". This way you can enjoy the sun in a relaxed way and you are guaranteed not to sweat. Your tan will still be just as beautiful.

Your body has a certain amount of time to protect itself from sunburn. This depends on your skin type and how it reacts to the sun. The self-protection time for people with very fair skin and blonde or red hair can be less than 10 minutes. If you want to stay in the sun longer than recommended for your skin type and your pre-tan, you should use sunscreen. The sun protection factor (SPF) indicates how much longer you can stay in the sun without sun protection. To calculate how many minutes, you can spend quietly in the sun with regular re-creams, multiply your self-protection time by the sun protection factor. If you have a self-protection time of 15 minutes and apply sunscreen with SPF 20, you can go out in the sun for up to 300 minutes a day. But be sure to apply adequate sun protection and reapply creams regularly, as sweating reduces the effect.

You do not need sunscreen when using a tanning bed because the UV dose is precisely defined. The requirement for this is that you only use the tanning bed as long as it suits your skin type and your pre-tan. Therefore, ask for advice in the tanning salon before use.

In addition to having the right sun protection factor, make sure you apply enough sunscreen and reapply it regularly. Sweating or bathing in water can reduce the effect. You do not need sunscreen when using a tanning bed, because the UV dose is precisely dosed and you adjust the tanning time to your skin's own protection time.

Skin type: If you have an extremely sensitive skin type and get sunburnt easily in the natural sun, you should avoid a visit to the tanning salon. The same applies if you get freckles very quickly, have many or atypical moles. When in doubt, contact your dermatologist and make sure you get advice on your individual tanning time in the tanning salon of your choice.

Previous illnesses: If you or family members have or have had skin cancer or if you are generally vulnerable to skin cancer, we also advise against using a tanning bed.

Medication: While using photosensitizing medication (e.g. Antibiotics), avoid the tanning bed and natural sun.

Sunburn: If you have an acute sunburn, you should not use the tanning bed.

Age: visiting the tanning salon is only allowed from 18 years old - regardless of whether the legal representative has given permission or not.

Many modern tanning beds have a so-called Hybrid Performance or Hybrid Light technology.

But what does this actually mean? "Hybrid" means that two different technologies are combined with each other. Hybrid solariums combine two different light spectra. UV light (UVA and UVB) is supplemented with red Beauty Light.

During tanning, UV light provides the natural color and has additional bio positive effects, such as vitamin D formation. The red Beauty Light nourishes the skin while tanning. The revitalizing and skin care effect has been confirmed in numerous studies. In combination with UV light, the Beauty Light ensures that the skin feels particularly pleasant. The typical skin tension after tanning is reduced and the skin feels particularly soft. Since red light also stimulates oxygen production in the skin, solariums with hybrid technology give a particularly beautiful, fresh and natural tan - without a higher UV dose. The skin looks and feels great.

Turning back the clock is of course not possible. But with a special light, the so-called Beauty Light, you can improve the complexion of your skin. Beauty Light is a special light that increases the body's own production of collagen deep in your skin. Wrinkles are reduced by the red light and the skin is visibly tightened, improving your overall complexion. Instead of hiding the symptoms, the causes of visible skin aging are naturally reduced. You can see and feel the results! The high effectiveness of the Beauty Light has not only been confirmed by thousands of users, but also by a research project at the University of Ulm and a study with test subjects led by a doctor.

Proven effect of the Beauty Light:

• Collagen build-up in the skin
• Improved complexion
• More pleasant skin feeling
• Smoother skin
• Less wrinkles

In modern tanning beds, the skin-nourishing Beauty Light reduces the unwanted side effects of the sun. The combination of Beauty Light and tanning UV light is called "Hybrid Light" because the benefits of two different light areas are combined. The skin feels particularly soft after tanning with the extra Beauty Light and the typical skin tension after sunbathing is reduced. And of course, you can look forward to a particularly fresh and natural color.

The maximum strength of tanning beds is legally limited and is never stronger than the natural sun. The maximum erythema UV intensity is 0.3 W / m 2. To simplify this technical term: 15 minutes on a modern tanning bed corresponds to a maximum sunburn risk of about 25 minutes of summer sun in Germany. Since the UV dose is precisely determined in the tanning bed, you do not need sunscreen there either. The requirement for this is that you only use the tanning bed as long as it suits your skin type and your pre-tan. Therefore, ask for advice in the tanning salon before you use a tanning bed.