Local tanning salons are enjoying golden times this summer despite several challenges inherent in the industry and the local market.

Lisa Hunter, owner of Foxy Bronze in Stansbury Park, said that even though the summer months are usually slower than spring, tanning is still popular with people who see it as a healthier alternative to laying out in the sun.

“For the summer, we probably do about 2,000 sessions a month for the tanning beds, and we probably see about 5 to 10 people a day for spray-on tanning,” said Hunter. “Summer is a time when people are going to a pool, beach, or on cruises and other vacations where they’ll be showing more skin. Tanning helps people not get burned when they’re out in the sun. It can also provide a great source of Vitamin D that your body needs.”

Hunter said she sees a wide range of clients, males and females ranging from age 14 to 72, and that her business features nine tanning beds and one room for spray-on tanning.

Peggy Pitt, owner of Shear Pleasure in Tooele, which also provides massages and other beauty-oriented services, said tanning traffic at her salon has been steady, though not as good as past summers. However, she said that during the winter months, Shear Pleasure probably does only one-tenth of the business she sees in the summertime.

“We get regulars and newcomers in here, but this year hasn’t been as busy as other years in the past,” Pitt said. “I think it’s because there are several tanning salons now in Tooele County, and the downturn in the economy could also have something to do with it. We began doing tanning here for 14 years, and around this time of year we usually are fairly busy.”

Currently, there are four salons specifically for tanning in the Tooele Valley: Foxy Bronze, Under the Sun in Tooele, D-Lux Tan in Tooele, and Sunny Side Up in Grantsville. Three of them — Foxy Bronze, D-Lux and Sunny Side Up — have started up in the last five years.

Beauty salons such as Shear Pleasure and Mel Brookes Place in Grantsville also provide tanning, as do Sweat Fitness in Tooele and the Anytime Fitness locations in Grantsville and Stansbury Park.

Kristy North, assistant manager for D-Lux Tan, said she thinks there is room for even more tanning beds in Tooele County.

“Tanning is a growing business here,” she said. “We have about 950 regular clients during this summer, so I think we could use more salons locally. We have eight beds at our salon right now, but because there are so many people who come in, it’s still not enough. We also just barely changed our hours so we’re open later to accommodate all our customers.”

North said she has noticed that spray-on tanning is also gaining popularity — though not necessarily replacing tanning beds.

“We started doing spray-on two months ago, and we’ve already had 20 customers for it,” she said. “I think it’s really going to boom soon.”

Pitt said tanning is popular during the summer partly because it prevents sunburn.

“People don’t want to get burned when they do go outside and expose more skin during the summer,” Pitt said. “A lot of people are wearing shorts and shirts with short sleeves during this time of year, and they want to get tan but don’t want to get burned.”

However, many medical experts dispute the beneficial effects of tanning. The national Skin Cancer Foundation denounces the practice on the grounds that it increases the risk of developing melanoma, various types of carcinoma, and skin aging. Despite these warnings, the foundation claims indoor tanning is a $2-billion-a-year industry in the United States, and that it is gaining in popularity with adolescent girls.

Another challenge the indoor tanning industry faces is start-up and operating costs. Hunter said good tanning beds can cost as much as $50,000, and that her salon’s electric bill can sometimes be $1,700 a month.

“The amount of power a tanning salon uses for its beds is unreal, and the beds themselves can pretty expensive to purchase,” Hunter said. “You also have to do things like build divided rooms and install extra doors, and there’s also the cost of maintenance for the beds, which includes replacing and installing new bulbs.”

Despite these challenges, Hunter opened her salon two years ago because she sees the tanning industry growing.

“Tanning beds provide a controlled environment, and you only have to spend a certain amount of minutes on a bed, which is much better than having to spend three hours in the sun,” she said. “For a lot of people, it’s a New Year’s resolution to get more tan, which makes spring such a popular time for us. A lot of people who tan say they both look and feel better.”

dougrad@tooeletranscript.com