How do you decide what skin type your spray tan customer is?

[collin]

As we all know there are different % solutions available on the market so when a new customer walks in through the door how do you go about recommending the % solution that would best suit your customers skin type?

Do you ask the customer what "look" they are trying to achieve?

If a fair skin type asks for the darkest solution do you simply go with what they ask or do you discuss what you think would suit their skin tone best?

It would be great if we could keep specific brand names out of the thread as this topic could be of great assistance to spray tanners in general.

Thanks for your time :hug:

 

[gillian w]

I always discuss and explain about the solutions and why there are the different percentages and what they mean.

The first thing i do is get them to fill out their cards and if they have had a tan before ,whatever the solution i would discuss the outcome of that and if they were happy.

If someone was very fair and wanted the darkest solution for their first tan with me i would try my best to disuade them and no i wouldn't do it, but if they were returning and had previously had a lower % and wanted to go for the next one up i would do it but i would warn them that it might be too much and not compliment their skintone.

At the end of the day its not for ever and if they look tangoed for a few days at least you have satisfied their curiosity and you can say ''i told you so''.You don't want that person going somewhere else just because you wouldn't do what they wanted.

Also peoples skins react differently and i do think some peoples skins even if fair can actually take a higher % and not look overdone.

 

[jenny mosley]

Hiya

The fitzpatrick skin chart is brill

jenny

 

[Jen Smith]

If a new client comes to me for a spray tan.. I firstly talk my way through the client consultation card and ascertain their natural skin colour... from fair to dark. I then ask them their expectations with the tan and ask them in ideal conditions how would they tan when in the natural sun. Depending on how they answer I can guide them to which % solution I feel would be an ideal starting point. If the client just wants a natural tan then I never have a problem with choosing for them.. on occasion the client wants the 'lady on the promotion flyer' and if their skin type is not suitable or they don't tan well in the natural sun I have to advise them to go for a lower % to start with.

When i first started out I was badgerd into giving a higher % on a couple of occations and this did was give a dissapointing result. I more assertive nowadays and just don't let them, afterall its my reputation on the line too here.

Appart from the odd teenager, I don't really get any problems with clients having the right tan for their skin type.. :hug:

 

[Enalion]

Posted by Lucy-Jayne on Enalion's log on!

One thing I found when I took over my salon is that the therapists would always let the customers know the %s and let them decide.

I knocked that on the head straight away and don't tell them full stop what the %s are. Because the client will always think the higher the better.

I ask them:
a) how they tan in the sun - because if they don't go dark normally then going really dark is going to look odd IMO and my experience
b) how dark they want to go - if they're fair and they want to go dark, I won't give them the darkest. If they tan really really well and already have a base, then I've no problem chosing a dark shade.

Most of the time, going somewhere down the middle of the road is sufficent for my clients.

TBH, just looking at my clients sets of a '% ringer' in my head!

 

[moosey]

I use an 8% solution and unless the client has a dark base to start eith i find it suits everyone. It gives a natural look on my clienrs as all of them want just a natural 'suntan look, Also my fair clients get a nice deep colour due to them being fair.
I do explain this to my clients and the reasons why i don't stock a higher DHA % soulution and they all trust my judgement and alway happy with the result .... no complaitnts yet !!

 

[sharon h]

for any new client I get the client in 48 hours before the session do a patch test then they can decide between the 8 or 10% when they come for their tan. (I do not do walk in clients)
I also go through the skin type 8% fair skin 10% for people who tans better etc. 9 times out of 10 they know what colour they want from the patch test.

 

[10perfect10]

Great thread colin!

Ruthy xxx

 

[Jaffacake]

I do the same as the majority on here, I ask them how they naturally tan in the sun and guage it from there and by looking at them... I also ask them what sort of look they are hoping for, either a natural sun kissed glow or something more noticable like they have just been on holidays? They always go with my recommendations at least for the first spray, and if they want to try a darker shade next time I dont have a problem with that, just would rather they took my advice to start with than hate it the next day and there is nothing that can be done about it!

 

[Tracey Park]

i do it by how they tan in the sun naturally. i think this is far the safer option and is what is recommended by the companies themselves.

ive seen way too many tangoed people in the streets who think they look lovely and they just look like umpa loompas.

we do it this way for a reason . take me, i would love to tan but dont ever, just my dna make up unfortuanley. personally i blame my parent but thats another story !!! ..i would love to be a gorge deep brown so instints suggest i should go for a 12, hell no i would instantly become one of those wierd orange people in the street and it would do my reputation no good at all.

we all tan differently due to the make up of our dna so i would never have a solution that was over a 8 as i just wouldnt look right.

go with what you are taught for the best tan that your clients will keep coming back time and time again for !!!:hug: