Airbrush & Spray Tanning Ventilation Requirements

How big an area do you need to offer a spray tanning service? The simple answer would seem to be large enough so that you, your client, and the necessary equipment will fit comfortably. That space can be as small as a good sized bathroom and shower for a mobile service. But the limiting factor is often ventilation. You want enough airflow so that the work area is comfortable and not stuffy from wayward tanning mist and overspray. You also want a safe workplace. Despite the long safety record of DHA and its status as an FDA approved ingredient, it is only approved for EXTERNAL application. So, you should take every reasonable measure to reduce inhalation of spray mist.

What are the major factors affecting ventilation - air filtration, protective gear, equipment settings, equipment and - this may surprise you - technique.

Air Filtration

For air filtration, an installed exhaust fan may suffice. But in most cases, you'll probably want to consider a portable air cleaner. Two options discussed here are standard box fans and HEPA filter air cleaners.

Standard Extraction Fan

An improvised solution is to use a standard box fan and to tape or somehow affix a standard furnace filter for air cleaning. A 20 x 20 x 1 inch filter usually works with the standard box fan form. This works fine but is unpolished for some. The Tanning Store offers a commercial version of this solution in the form of the Performance Air Cleaner and Extraction fan. It has a built in filter holder and comes with a nice Arm & Hammer pleated filter with a MERV rating of 8. The quality of the filter is an important determinant of the effectiveness of this solution. We recommend a filter with a MERV rating of 8 or higher. The higher this number, the smaller the particle the filter will remove. But filters with higher MERV numbers offer more resistance to air flow. Since box fans can move enough air for cleaning a large room, the additional restriction of a higher MERV rating is usually insignificant.

MERV Rating

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and measures how well a mechanical filter removes particles of a given size. The following table is illustrative:

We do not recommend the use of standard flat fiberglass furnace filters. Washable and reusable filters typically do not have a high MERV value. The fact that a filter is electrostatic also is not a predictable indicator. But, disposable electrostatic pleated filters are quite good, often having a MERV value of 11. Even this value is not effective against tobacco smoke - one of the harder allergens to remove.

HEPA Filter Air Cleaners

HEPA filters are designed to remove 99.7% of all airborne pollutants .3 microns or larger. This will even get tobacco smoke out. MERV values are not assigned to HEPA filters, although obviously they function like a high MERV filter. If you consider a HEPA filter, we recommend a unit with a washable pre-filter, a carbon filter, and a HEPA filter. This type of air cleaner will have a much high filter cost than the extraction fan described above, so a washable pre-filter will extend the life of the HEPA filter. The Tanning Store is still evaluating the desirability of HEPA filters for spray tanning and does not stock any for sale yet. If you do decide to try a HEPA filter approach, you should be aware of another statistic - CADR, or Clean Air Delivery Rate.

CADR Rating

The CADR is a measure of the clean air that an air cleaner is capable of delivering. An extraction fan based on a box fan will not quote this statistic, but this type of unit is very good at moving a large volume of air. A HEPA filter based air cleaner should quote three CADR numbers, one for tobacco smoke, one for pollen, and one for dust. The higher the CADR for each of these items, the faster the air cleaner is at removing each allergen.

To calculate your minimum CADR, get the square feet of your work area and multiply by 2/3. For example, if you have a 12 x 12 area, your CADR should be at least 12 x 12 = 144 x 2/3 = 90. If your ceiling is higher than 8 ft, increase this number. In general, we would suggest a HEPA filter rated for "Large Rooms".

Protective Gear

The single most important step that you can take toward safe ventilation is to adopt an effective air cleaner as noted above. Apply your budget first to an air cleaner. If you do, any special protective gear is somewhat optional. If you do elect to use protective gear, your options are disposable masks that cover the nose and mouth and disposable nose plugs. As a technician, you are the most exposed since you are routinely performing the procedure. The client exposure is brief and intermittent. We believe that a good air cleaner largely removes the need for client protection. But it can be awkward if you elect protection and don't give the client an option. The nose filters can be a little awkward for prolonged use, so we would recommend a mask for you, the technician.

Equipment Settings

The advice here is basically to follow the recommended settings for your equipment and solution. But, we find that airbrush tanners typically have the tougher time. Despite the claims of HVLP proponents, an airbrush is a fairly low pressure device and is not inherently vulnerable to overspray production. For a given equipment set-up, you will often find as much as an 8 PSI range where an acceptable atomization is produced. At the top of that range, more overspray is being produced, but the spray pattern has not broken down into wholesale "clouding" of the air. At the bottom of the range, overspray is fairly minimal, but the spray pattern is close to inadequate atomization. You may want to experiment with lower values in this "range" a bit. There is a trade-off - the lower in the range you work, the more time your application will require.

HVLP Overspray Myth

You will often find the statement, "I have an HVLP system, I don't produce overspray". Nothing could be further from the truth. HVLP does well on "Material Transfer Rate" statistics - meaning that a high amount of the spray is transferred to the target surface while minimizing overspray. What is the benchmark for this statistic? Sixty Five per cent is the target mark. Some do claim transfer rates in the 70% range. LVLP systems have slightly better Material Transfer rates than HVLP systems.

But even in the ideal case HVLP material transfer rates mean that 25-35% of the spray is not reaching the target and is overspray. But wait, it gets worse. The statistics also assume transfer to a large flat surface. That's not a bad assumption when you're spraying the torso, but arms, hands, legs, feet and the neck don't exactly qualify. The statistics also assume good technique. This is where the average HVLP spray tanning technician really falls down. The primary culprit is the "2 minute tan marketing myth" mentality. Many HVLP technicians are obsessed with speed at the expense of quality. Speed requires the widest application pattern -- as much as 8 inches - and fast technique. But if you are not spraying the torso, much of that wide pattern is missing the mark, going off into mid air. So, a realistic upper limit may be more like 60% for a spray tanner - with 40% of the product missing the mark. You must also add in the evaporated material that does reach the mark. This is not all water.

Paradoxically, HVLP equipment may also not deliver HVLP results. Water based tanning solution does not spray well through off-the-shelf configurations. You need a unit that has been configured for spray tanning. There has also been a trend to higher usage of light, portable HVLP systems which have a largely plastic construction. To get the price down, the spray guns on these systems are made cheaply. We have yet to find a portable HVLP spray gun that can match a quality full size system. Some don't even deliver HVLP results - resembling air blowers with tanning solution injected in the stream. The V stands for volume not velocity. A good HVLP pattern should feel soft to the skin.

So, select the best equipment that you can. Watch your pattern. Watch your distance. Adopt an auto painter's mentality - be obsessed with the finish. If all your client is interested in is speed they would go to a booth. If you match booth speed, you'll also match booth quality - not very good. Yes Mr./Ms. HVLP technician, you too need a good air cleaning system.