We are all familiar with the concept of light extinguishing when bulbs die. A trait true of light bulbs and camera flashes is also the case with our tanning lamps.

Tanning bulbs are probably the most important component of our tanning bed—it is the part that produces UV light, which gives us our tan. Bulbs and lamps both play this role, and it’s easy to confuse them. Deciding what you need is largely dependent on your individual bed—generally, high pressure units are called bulbs and low pressure units lamps. However, this is not always true, and there are hundreds of varieties out there of various sizes and powers. Get the wrong one, and it’s pretty much as good as getting a flood light bulb for your desk-side lamp.

There are a lot of important facets to tanning beds, but tanning lamps may be the most crucial element. Without the tanning bed bulbs, tanning would not be possible. Before purchasing replacement bulbs, however, you must know what you are getting into. In many salons, high-pressure bulbs are growing in popularity. These require fewer visits per month and do not contain UVB rays—the rays that make you burn. However, if your sun-kissed-self then goes outside into the real sun, you become extra susceptible to those UVB rays and are likely to end up a crisp shade of tomato.

Ideally, if you are visiting a salon that has the option to use both kinds, try to use low-pressure lamps every few visits. Low-pressure bulbs emit both UVA and UVB rays, and while you’ll end up having to go more often with this type of pressure, your sitting time will be shorter, and you’ll have less of a chance of burning afterward. This method also decreases your risk of exposure to carcinogens.

It’s very likely that you are accustomed to not replacing your bulbs until they die out. It’s the way we are used to with light bulbs, after all. But with tanning bed light bulbs, this actually causes a greater expense—in money, time, and energy. Quite simply, you tan faster and better on fresher bulbs! Bulbs generally run a few hundred dollars, and you tend to get 1,000 to 2,000 hours of life out of them. But it’s best to change bulbs around the 500-hour mark—any longer than that and you’ll probably end up spending increasingly longer periods of time under the lamp in order to get your ideal tan. UV Readers help to keep you on pace when bulbs need to be changed in order to always be at top performance.

When buying tanning bed replacement bulbs, beware of “deals”—you may “luck out” by finding cheap tanning lamps on eBay or in outlets for a fraction of commercial cost. However, resellers may be fibbing about hours used and lamp strength, and you’ll just end up needing a new one sooner. If you make the investment on the right, high-quality tanning bed, follow through with quality lamp purchases on MasterTanning.com. In the long run, it’ll lead to a much better value, safer tans, and a better golden glow that makes you feel great.