Health & beauty

Sunbeds

Updated: 06 Dec 2011
10dec-sunbed-hero1

Introduction

Sunbed operators are still keeping consumers in the dark.

Sunbed operators have been in the spotlight recently – so we expected our latest survey would show they had improved their practices since 2010. But yet again we found many weren’t complying with the voluntary standard.

Enough is enough: it’s time to make the standard compulsory and to license all sunbed operators.

Our survey

We sent mystery shoppers to 66 sunbed outlets in 12 centres. The outlets included solaria (specialist sunbed establishments), fitness centres, hairdressers, beauty therapists and nail salons. One shopper went to all the selected outlets in each centre.

The shopper booked a session, told the operator it was their first sunbed, and evaluated the session against some of the guidelines in the standard. Our shoppers did not use the sunbeds – they completed the evaluation in the privacy of their cubicle.

What we found

Only 12 out of 66 operators met all our requirements. These were

  • The Electric Beach & Hair Studio (Whangarei)
  • Nails on Richmond (Auckland)
  • Sunworld Professional Tanning Studio (Auckland)
  • Pure Essentials (Hamilton)
  • Team 7 Hairdressing (Hamilton)
  • Beauty Rituals (Hawke’s Bay)
  • Beauty Secrets Day Spa & Beauty Clinic (Hawke’s Bay)
  • Studio 31 (Palmerston North)
  • Trois on Allen (Wellington)
  • Accent on Nouveau (Christchurch)
  • Carlton Hair Corp (Christchurch)
  • Shoreline Fitness Centre (Christchurch).

Name and shame
Peppers Hair & Beauty Boutique in Hawke’s Bay didn’t do anything right – even the goggles they provided were broken.

See Survey results for the full list of outlets surveyed.

Guidelines vs practice

Using a sunbed

Skin assessment

Staff should do a formal assessment of a customer’s skin before the first session. They should ask about a customer’s tanning history and experiences of sun exposure, especially previous sunburn. Sensitivity to UV rays can vary from person to person.

Less than half of the operators (31 out of 66) gave a formal skin assessment.

Consent form

There should be a consent form that spells out the risks associated with sunbed use, makes it clear who’s at high risk and emphasises the importance of wearing goggles.

Customers should be given a consent form to read and sign. Only 34 operators did this.

Beauté Skin Bar & Beauty Clinic in Dunedin didn’t give our first-time sunbedder a consent form to read and sign on the day. But our shopper had been to Beauté for a different treatment in the past and Beauté told us she would have filled out a health and safety consent form (which includes information about sunbed risk) at that time. This may be the case but we think it’s best practice for all customers to fill out a consent form at the time of their first sunbed. People can’t be expected to remember the risks of a treatment they read about a few months ago. 

Sunset Tan in Auckland didn’t have a consent form when we visited. But it has since told us it now has one.

Eye protection

Eyes absorb UV rays so it’s important protective goggles are provided. Without eye protection, UV rays can damage your eyes and increase your risk of getting cataracts.

Most operators provided adequate goggles (they formed a tight seal around the eyes). Some operators require you to buy the goggles, because of the risk of cross-contamination between users.

Eight operators provided goggles that were a loose fit. Another three – A Head of Nature Hair Studio (Auckland), Global Fitness Health Club (Tauranga) and Peppers Hair & Beauty Boutique (Hawke’s Bay) – provided broken goggles. Anytime Fitness in Whangarei told our shopper that wearing the goggles was optional and she could close her eyes if she didn’t want to wear them. All of these practices are unacceptable.

Follow-up session

The standard recommends that a follow-up session be avoided for the next 48 hours. Fifty-three operators gave this information to our mystery shoppers.

Warning notices

The standard asks for warning notices in the sunbed cubicle. These are meant to specify the risks of exposure to UV and also warn specific groups of people about their higher risk (see High-risk groups). There should also be warnings about the importance of eye protection and the timing of the next session.

Only 32 operators had all the warnings recommended in the standard – this is less than half the number of operators in our survey.

Survey results

 
Sunbed survey table 1

 

Lower North Island table

 

 

South Island table

 

Guide to the tables

Our mystery shop took place in September 2011 and was funded by the Ministry of Health. We looked at whether operators complied with some of the guidelines set out in the Australia/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 2635:2008. We did not attempt to assess compliance with all parts of the standard.

Operators in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington have their locations noted to clearly identify the operator. A = no longer offers sunbeds (but did offer them at the time of our mystery shop).

Practices

Skin assessment should be done formally. Consent form should have information on specific areas of risk and should be read and signed by the customer. B = shopper had signed at previous treatment. Eye protection should be supplied. C = goggles broken. D = goggles didn’t form a tight seal. E = available for purchase. Follow-up session should not be within 48 hours. F = not recorded by researcher.

Warnings

Warnings should be posted in cubicles to inform customers about UV risks, high-risk groups, the need for eye protection, and the timing of a follow-up session. High-risk groups G = notice mentioned under-18s only. H = notice mentioned type 1 “fair skin”only.

Lessons learnt?

The percentage of operators meeting our requirements has been improving over the last 6 years. But it’s a snail’s pace – as these numbers from our mystery-shop surveys show:

Compliance table

Although the level of compliance is still woeful, there’s some good news. Some operators are taking their responsibilities seriously and have made significant improvements since our 2010 survey. These companies are:

  • Sunworld Professional Tanning Studio (Auckland)
  • Contours Greenlane (Auckland)
  • Nails on Richmond (Auckland)
  • So Natural’s Nails Tanning & Beauty Clinic (Hamilton)
  • Team 7 Hairdressing (Hamilton)
  • Aura Sun Spa (Tauranga)
  • Contours (New Plymouth)
  • Studio 31 (Palmerston North)
  • Carlton Hair Corp (Christchurch)
  • Top Kutz Hair Designs (Invercargill)
  • Vertigo Urban Image (Invercargill).

In August 2011 the Commerce Commission warned sunbed operators and distributors that they shouldn’t make false or misleading claims about the health benefits and risks of sunbed use. This warning was a result of a joint complaint lodged by us and the Cancer Society. But despite being put on notice, 13 operators continue to make claims we’re concerned about – and we’ll be passing their details on to the Commerce Commission.

We say

  • Our 4 surveys since 2005 show consistent non-compliance with the voluntary standard. It’s time the standard was made mandatory and all operators licensed. Only then will consumers be adequately protected.

 

High-risk groups

Red headed girl

New Zealand has high summer UV-radiation (UVR) levels compared with other countries. This places us all at increased risk of developing skin cancer.

But of us are more at risk than others and should never use a sunbed.

  • Childhood exposure to excess UVR as well as the number of times a child is sunburnt are known to increase the risk of developing melanoma later in life. The World Health Organization recommends that those aged under 18 shouldn’t use sunbeds; and New Zealand’s voluntary standard bans sunbed use by under-18s.
  • Certain skin types are also more susceptible to UVR damage. Sunbeds should not be used by people whose skin is “Type 1” (it’s fair and often freckled; it always sunburns or sunburns easily, and never tans). People with “Type 2” skin (it often burns) should also be careful.
  • If you have lots of moles or freckles, pre-malignant or malignant skin lesions, or otherwise sun-damaged skin then you’re more at risk and shouldn’t use a sunbed.
  • Family history is also important. If a close relative has had melanoma, you’re more at risk.
  • Some medicines can make the skin more photosensitive, decreasing the time it takes for your skin to burn. These medicines include antidepressants, acne treatments, and antibiotics.

 

 

More information

Report by Belinda Allan.