Hollywood Tan Offers Clean, Safe and Hip Envrionment to Glow

In less than the time it takes to pick out a movie next door at Blockbuster Video, customers can get a start on being as tan as the stars on the screen at the new Hollywood Tans, located in the Triangle Plaza in Wilkes-Barre. Hollywood Tans, a national tanning franchise recently brought to the area by Jeff and Rose Randazzo, also operates a location on Greenridge Street in Scranton.

“I think a national tanning franchise coming to our area is a big deal,” said Rose. “This is exciting news!”

Hollywood Tans brings hipness to NEPA with its stylish urban atmosphere. The salon is very open and inviting, with concrete floors, an open ceiling and a lobby with a feng shui kind of look: Hip furniture, including a funky lamp called the Happy Tree Lamp, straight of New York City. The friendly (and very tan) staff greets customers behind a $10,000 solid granite counter. Sleek silvers letters above read “HOLLYWOOD TANS.” The rows of tanning booths themselves have a futuristic look to them.

“We went out of the area to bring something new and fresh in,” said Rose.

While it seems that summer is the peak time for tanners, the winter months present even more of a reason to hit the booths. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, affects much of the population, giving people symptoms of depression- all due in part to lack of sunlight. Tanning is one way to combat SAD. And- in frigidly cold, single digit weather, catching a little warmth is never a bad thing! While tanning does have its health benefits, still probably the number one reason is for vanity.

“The biggest thing I think is well-being. When you have a tan, you feel good about yourself,” said Jeff. He added that how dark you should go in the winter is really a matter of personal preference.

And, contrary to what some skeptics say, some tanning beds are even safer than the sun, including those at Hollywood Tans. According the Randazzos, the sun puts out 8% UV rays. Their HT60 tanning chambers emit just 2%, making the booths a safer option for getting color.

Hollywood Tans offers three levels of booths, the HT42, HT54 and HT60- that vary in power and price. The HT60 is the only tanning bed available for an eight-minute tan. For those looking for a quick fix, also available is a six-second spray-on tan in a misting chamber that was featured on Good Morning America, Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, and a variety of fashion magazines.

If there is one thing Hollywood Tans prides itself on, it is cleanliness. All of their 16 booths are vertical, which give a more even tan than beds and are much safer. If not cleaned properly with the right disinfectant solutions, tanners in lay-down beds could be exposed to things like head lice, scabies and STD’s, which make stand-up beds generally more sanitary.

“In lay down beds, you are laying in a puddle of your own sweat- and somebody else’s,” said Rose. She continued that lay down beds could not only be a haven for germs, but also do not tan the entire body due to pressure points on the Plexiglas.

Hollywood Tans is a national franchise, so a package purchased here can be used in other locations, perfect for those who travel with work, or students who go home on the weekends. Since Hollywood Tans has 16 vertical chambers, no appointment is necessary.