Smart Tan

Marketing to Men Tanning may not always be the first thing that comes to mind for male clients—but that’s changing. As salons evolve into wellness destinations, the door is opening wider for people who may have once felt out of place in a tanning environment. That includes men. With services like red light therapy, infrared saunas, and skin recovery treatments becoming more mainstream, wellness is helping to normalize the tanning experience.

A 2024 study from the University of Edinburgh, published in the journal Health & Place, garnered significant attention for its findings on the health outcomes of tanning salon users in Great Britain. This study, the largest prospective analysis of its kind, examined the relationship between solarium use and various mortality risks. Key findings from the study include: A 15% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality among solarium users.

Every salon owner reads their reviews. Far fewer mine them. Negative reviews get treated as a fire to put out — apologize, move on, hope it doesn’t happen again. But buried in those complaints is something larger businesses pay market research firms to find: exactly what your clients want, in their own words, for free.

Red light therapy, clinically known as photobiomodulation (PBM), has moved decisively from a fringe biohack to standard-issue recovery equipment in professional sports. As of 2026, franchises across major sports leagues have installed dedicated PBM rooms or formalized strategic vendor partnerships. Performance directors frequently cite the modality as a core component of systemic performance management.

Most training flows one direction — owner to staff, senior to junior, experience to inexperience. That model works fine for teaching someone how to run a tanning bed or close out a register. It works less well for the things that change fastest: what clients expect from a brand’s social presence, which platforms actually drive bookings this year, and what younger clients notice the moment they walk through the door.

While the slower summer and fall months might feel like much-needed downtime for tanning business owners, they actually offer a prime opportunity to review, evaluate, and address various aspects of the business. This period can be used strategically to ensure that the business remains competitive, efficient, and prepared for busier seasons. The summer and fall is also the time to look more intently at the things you can accomplish now that you won’t have time for later.

For decades, tanning businesses have sold tanning, skincare and suncare products as a companion to their core services. But today, as more salons evolve into wellness destinations, these retail offerings should become a more defined element of your brand. Skincare is self-care. It’s wellness. And in the minds of many consumers, investing in your skin is part of a healthy lifestyle focused on looking and feeling good—both now and in the future.

Trade show season is back, and with it comes the annual question every salon owner asks before booking a flight or loading up the van: Is this worth my time? It’s a fair question. Attending an event requires a big commitment of your time and your money. But the right show, attended with the right mindset, can do more for a salon’s bottom line in three days than months of trial and error on its own. The trick is knowing what to look for, and what to actually do once you’re there.

Employee Attitudes are Contagious! How to hire employees whose attitudes are worth catching By Michael Mercer, Ph.D., Employee attitudes are contagious! In fact, employee attitude research reveals this truth.

A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D — a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children’s brain development. Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study.