Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on Feb. 16, 2009

As spring break approaches many women — and men — want to tan up before traveling down south.

The sun’s rays are calling, but before hopping on a plane, consider getting a head start on a tan at Sizzlin’ Cabana, 2540 Lincoln Way and 4611 Mortensen Road.

Craig Bumgarner, co-owner of Sizzlin’ Cabana’s two locations in Ames, said the salons will be extending their hours to allow students to get a head start on a tan before lying out in the violent sun in the southern states or countries.

The various types of beds at Sizzlin’ Cabana — ranging from low to high pressure — offer different levels of UVB and UVA rays. Each pressure level results in a different depth of tan. UVB prepares the skin better for natural sun rays than UVA alone.

“When you go outside in the sun — like if you are going to Cancun — if you have had nothing but a tan with UVA, you’ve done nothing to protect your skin against the sunburn,” Bumgarner said.

“You could be brown as can be after tanning in the high pressure bed, but you go out and get sunburn just like you were if you had no tan at all. So you have to have some UVB to build up that protection.”

Low and medium pressure, he said, have an UVB ray which protects your skin from natural sunlight when you decide to tan outside. The high-pressure beds are strictly UVA and are perfect if you want to get dark faster and aren’t planning to lie in the sun. UVA will tan all three layers of skin — UVB only tans the top layer. Bumgarner said he recommends the medium-pressure beds for spring-break preparation.

“The medium pressure is your best bet. It’s going to get you darker, it’s going to last longer and it’s going to give you the protection you need once you get to the beach,” he said.

Sizzlin’ Cabana also offers stand-up beds and sunless tanning done two ways — by a trained technician and in a spray booth.

Bumgarner and his wife, Shelaine, decided to open Sizzlin’ Cabana in 1998 because they saw a need for one in Ames. Shelaine, Bumgarner said, is a “tanning enthusiast” and wanted to start a salon.

He also said the salons have been a great success and sees about four to five new clients a day.

There are no set prices for the services and products Sizzlin’ Cabana has because specials are always being offered, Bumgarner said. Each Monday, specials are planned ranging from percentages off lotions to cutting tanning packages down a bit too.

Deals that stay year-round are Frequent Tanner Club benefits, where if a client buys a certain number of packages within a year, they get a package for free or credit to their account. A bonus points system is in place, making it easier to switch around to all different pressure beds and spray tans. For each dollar a person spends, he or she will get five percent back.

“It kind of builds up in their account so if they have bought so many packages they have got extra money to buy a [new] package,” Bumgarner said.

“So we think it’s a good value, and it’s a good way to reward our regular customers. We don’t want them to stray.”

Bumgarner said his Lincoln Way location is remodeling, adding new colors and artwork to their walls and giving it a “more upscale look.”

“We can’t make it a brand-new salon, but we can sure make it a nice-looking salon,” he said.

Sizzlin’ Cabana changes their lamps at half-life instead of letting them burn out. Bumgarner said this adds to the quality of service the business offers.

“Changing the lamps is huge,” he said.

“I mean, you can have a tanning bed that is 15 years old and has brand-new lamps in it and you could have a brand-new bed with old lamps in it … and the 15-year-old tanning bed is going to out tan the new one.”

It doesn’t really have anything to do with the bed, but it has to do with the lamps and how new the lamps are. A computer system indicates how many hours the bed is used and when the lamps have reached their half-life mark.

Bumgarner said lamps usually last 600 to 900 hours depending on the pressure level but are changed at 300 to 450 hours. Check the board behind the counter for weekly specials and deals.