Last week, we began a two part series on sunless tanning. This is Part II of that series as we cover UV (ultra violet) services, or as some affectionately call it, “tanning”.

In recent memory, few things that people do, other than cigarette smoking, drinking, overeating or partaking in illegal pharmaceuticals, have been as maligned as utilizing UV services.

“Tanning” has been taxed, attacked, warned against and outright shunned. In fact, in recent years, the so-called tanning industry has declined precipitously. At Planet Beach League City, we’ve also seen this, watching a dramatic shift in member composition from one that primarily used UV services to one that now mostly uses spa services.

We at Planet Beach have no opinion on UV- whether it’s good or whether it’s bad. We simply offer it as a service and emphasize what we’ve been practicing all along. You won’t hear say us things like “dark tan”, “get your tan on” or “maximize your tanning results.” At least not in a serious manner. Because that’s simply not what we’re about.

For our members who utilize UV services, we emphasize moderation.

Now, of course, a number of experts, such as alternative medicine expert, Dr. Joe Mercola, have come forward and said that maybe getting some UV isn’t so bad. A UV bed is, after all, simply a more intense expression of the UV that’s already present outside. Mercola, in his 2004 book, The UV Advantage, points out that UV wasn’t always this reviled. In fact, in the 1930s and 40s, doctors regularly gave doses of UV to clients for various ailments with good results.

Mercola and others believe UV can help with certain conditions. Among them, they believe moderate exposure can help someone prevent sunburn if they’re going to spend extended time in the sun. They also point out the fact that a person’s exposure is controlled in an indoor unit. UV can also be used to casually treat cosmetic skin conditions. More than three million consumers use UV services to self-treat psoriasis, eczema, acne, vitiligo (a condition in which there is a loss of pigment from the skin), and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Others use it to elevate their vitamin D levels. Approximately one million indoor tanners said they were referred to tanning facilities by their dermatologist. Other doctors say UV can help with certain types of health conditions, among them mental illness, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Normal levels of Vitamin D, associated with UV exposure, could also play a role in maintaining muscle strength, according to experts. In addition, as contentious as it sounds, some doctors say that mounting evidence suggests that such cancers as breast, prostate, colon and ovary might be, at least partly, influenced by vitamin D deficiency, largely caused by lack of UV. Another unexpected benefit, that is communicated to us by our members, is that their time in a UV bed is the only time they get to themselves in a day.

The debate on UV will likely continue for some time, with doctors and experts lining up on both sides.

Whatever your reason for doing UV, our approach at Planet Beach is simple. We start with a skin type analysis and then build a program based on moderate usage. This helps clients meet their primary objectives of looking and feeling better while maintaining overall skin health.

Then, there are our membership packages. We offer upgraded beds without the upgraded fees. Members pay one simple amount every month to utilize our UV services and can utilize them anywhere in Houston. In addition, our corporate headquarters also recently added UV memberships that allow members to tan anywhere there is a Planet Beach.

Maybe you’ve never done UV before and are wondering if it is right for you. If you have any questions about smart, safe and responsible UV usage, feel free to ask one of our knowledgeable and friendly spa consultants, and they’ll be happy to help you decide if UV is right for you.

Until the next time, make it a great week! -Bill

For more information about moderate UV usage, you can check out the following links.

http://www.tanningtruth.com/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/68828-advantages-indoor-tanning/ benefits-of-exposure-to-sunlight

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17924113.400-let-the-sunshine-in.html   http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/9772.php 

Ah, spring! It’s in the air. Wildflowers and trees with fresh green leaves. Nice, cool mornings and warm afternoons. If you’re in an outdoors setting, there’s perfect peace and tranquility. Nice. If only summer could be this way…

But then the heat sets in!

And we all know what happens then.

Yes, summer is just around the corner! This is an exciting time of year. I can remember when I was young loving the spring because I knew summer was coming. That meant vacation; time at the pool, beach or an amusement park; aimlessly doing nothing. Though I knew it was true, I didn’t think about that fact that as an adult, we get two weeks, maybe four if we’re lucky, unless we’re a teacher.

Hmmm….

Well, enough of those musings. Last week, I promised to write about our sunless tanning and UV services. Because the services are separate and distinct from each other, this will be a two part series.

Well, it’s spring, or early summer, or, truth be told, I don’t even know what it is…our weather has been so out of whack this past year. I guess we could just safely say, it’s mid-April, it feels like May and everyone’s acting like it’s summer. So, there ya go.

I want to take some time this week to update you on our spa renovation project. Earlier this year, we said we were beginning some updates to the spa, which includes new paint, new flooring in the lobby and hallway and new spa pieces.

We’ve already made some minor adjustments in décor and in the way we’re doings, right down to the kind of environment we’re creating in the spa. For instance, some of you may not have known that last month Planet Beach League City invested in a new scheduling software to accommodate our increasing membership and guest base. This means no more paper scheduling and the time it took to hand-write each appointment! And, if someone wanted to change their schedule? Oh, brother! But now, no more of that. This new software is fast and efficient. It lets us search for the next open slot for a particular service and tells us when a member’s upcoming services are. It can also help us reschedule recurring appointments. And we can easily reschedule appointments with just a few clicks. We at PBLC feel very good about this software and how it can allow us to better serve you, our spa and UV members.

This week, we made some other changes. The Planet Beach sign in the lobby is now gone. Also, this week, we replaced our massage chair. Many of our members loved our Cyber-Relax massage chair, but after three-and-a-half years and thousands of uses, it was time to replace the chair with a newer model.

Like its predecessor, this chair has hundreds of combinations. Unlike its predecessor, it also has movable arm rests, a very user-friendly control console, a heated light stick to apply to pressure points in the body and even a drink tray! It features plush leather and is very comfortable. It arrived yesterday, and a number of our members have already started using it.

But this is just the beginning. Our next major project involves moving equipment around to different rooms so that we can better serve you, our valued members.

And, the great news is- after many comments, and after seeing the extraordinary growth we’ve experienced, we’ve made the decision to add an additional hydration station! It most likely will not be within the next 30 days, but we promise we’ll keep you updated as we get closer to that date.

We are so excited about the changes taking place at Planet Beach League City. We have been truly blessed in many ways. We’ve especially been blessed with wonderful members and guests, many of whom have become our friends. We are so grateful for you and are glad you are enjoying Planet Beach League City. We can have the best equipment in the world, the best employees in the world and even the most knowledgeable employees in the world, but it’s you, our members and guests, who make it all worthwhile. We love seeing each and every one of you and are grateful for the opportunity to help you look and feel your best!

One more thing we’d like to add. When you see our team members, please congratulate them. They have been working very hard to make Planet Beach League City the best spa this side of the Beltway. Thanks to you, and thanks to their efforts, this past month Planet Beach League City was recognized as the Number 8 store out of over 230 in the entire Planet Beach franchise organization.

Congratulations to Jess, Katie, Samantha, Angel, Skyler, Elicia and Melissa for all their hard work.

Thanks to each of you for your continued friendship and support. We cherish you, our members and guests. Thank you for making Planet Beach League City a great spa and a great place for all of us to work. -Bill

But who can blame them? It arrived on July 1, in the heat of our summer. People were on vacation, relaxing by the pool. Besides, who wants to think about a sauna when it’s 100+ degrees outside?

Slowly, slowly, however, interest began to increase.

As the weather turned cooler that fall, more members began to ask about it. What did it do? Was it like a rock sauna? How was it any different from lying outside in the middle of August? (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that question.)

And more and more people started doing it. Now, at long last, the sauna has become one of our more popular services, despite our weather.

So, what exactly is our sauna, which is officially called Saunatox? Developed by Therasage, it is a Far Infrared Sauna, which is far different from a traditional rock sauna in the way it works (it requires far less heat than a traditional sauna) and in the way it detoxes the body.

Far Infrared waves are radio waves that can penetrate a mass. With our sauna, the infrared waves, or rays, penetrate two to three inches deep into the body. Since our bodies are mostly made up of water, molecularly, those rays hit the fluids in our body and excite them, creating internal heat and raising the body’s core temperature. As these rays penetrate through the body, and the body’s core temperature rises, the body releases toxins through the pores.

The process is far different from that of a hot rock sauna, where the temperature needs to get to almost 200 degrees F to have the same effect, making the typical rock sauna much less comfortable, so that the user cannot stay as long.   Whether a person does a far infrared sauna or a rock sauna, use of a sauna provides a number of other health benefits. In addition to detoxing the body, it increases circulation by forcing the blood to flow throughout the body. This increased blood flow, in turn, causes more nutrients and oxygen to be delivered to every part of the body. Sauna also is believed to reduce cancer-causing free radicals, reducing the body’s risk of developing cancer. Detoxing also can have the side benefit of helping the user lose weight.

Here are some benefits of our Saunatox.

• Natural pain relief
• Patented even distribution and delivery system of beneficial Far Infrared heat and Negative Ions. Negative ions help balance the body when there are excess positive ions, which are caused by electronic equipment, stress and even intense exercise.
• No electromagnetic radiation
• Safe, long-lasting, deep penetrating therapeutic heat
• AM/FM-CD Player
• Patented Infrared system
• All natural wood
• Non toxic
• Interior reading light
• Antibacterial materials
• All natural Detoxification
• Lower temperature to detox required: 140° versus 200°

So, if you haven’t tried or sauna or have been thinking about trying it, but just haven’t, why not give it a try? If you’re a Spa Member, it’s already included in your membership. If you’re a UV or Mystic member, ask a Spa Consultant about trying it. We’re confident you’ll like it!

Make it a great rest of the week.

~Bill