Tanning Salons in the UK

Finding a good tanning salon in the UK

Tanning salons offer sunbeds — lie-down and stand-up beds with UV tubes in a private cubicle, sold by the minute — and spray tans, where a technician applies a bronzing solution by hand or in a booth for a tan that lasts a week without UV; many also sell tanning lotions, tan-extending products and, increasingly, red-light and collagen beds. Unstaffed coin-operated salons still exist; the better salons are staffed, assess your skin type on the first visit, limit session lengths, change tubes on schedule and clean beds between every customer.

The law and the risk are clear: sunbeds are illegal for under-18s across the UK, salons must check age and display the health information, and UV tanning increases skin cancer risk, particularly for fair skin, so any use should be short, infrequent and never on skin that burns easily. A spray tan carries none of that risk and is the answer for an event; a sunbed for a pre-holiday base is what most salon customers want, and the responsible salon says how many minutes and how often. Prices are per minute, cheaper in courses, and memberships suit regulars.

The listings here show each salon's beds and spray tan options, prices per minute and per session, courses and memberships, hours and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who is staffed and does spray tans, and where people in your town go before the holiday.

What tanning salons offer

Lie-down sunbeds: the standard bed with UV tubes above and below, in a private cubicle, from three to twelve minutes by skin type.

Stand-up sunbeds: booths with more tubes and shorter sessions, no contact with the bed, popular for a quick session.

Spray tans: hand-applied or booth spray tans in light to dark shades, developing over hours and lasting five to ten days, for events and holidays.

Products and extras: tanning accelerators and lotions, tan extenders, goggles, and red-light, collagen and hydration beds at some salons.

Courses and memberships: blocks of minutes at a discount, monthly memberships for regulars, and student and off-peak rates.

Before you use a sunbed or book a spray tan

• Choose a staffed salon that asks your skin type and history on the first visit and sets the minutes accordingly.
• Bring ID; sunbeds are illegal for under-18s and salons must check.
• Start short — three to five minutes — and never more than one session a day; leave 48 hours between.
• Do not use a sunbed if you burn easily, have many moles, take photosensitising medication or are pregnant.
• Wear the goggles and remove make-up and perfume; both react under UV.
• For a spray tan, exfoliate the day before, wear loose dark clothes, and allow the developing time before showering.

What tanning costs in the UK

As a rough guide, sunbed sessions cost 50p to £1.50 a minute, so £4 to £12 for a typical session, with courses of 60 to 100 minutes at 30 to 40 per cent off and monthly memberships at £30 to £60 for regulars; stand-up beds are priced the same per minute with shorter sessions; a spray tan is £20 to £35 at a salon and £30 to £50 from a mobile technician, with courses cheaper; and lotions £10 to £40. Red-light and collagen beds run £10 to £20 a session.

A spray tan at £25 for the wedding carries no UV risk and no orange if the technician is good; a course of sunbed minutes is for the people who have thought about it.