Tanfaster Sun Tanning Salon: Where the Forecast Is Always Sunny and Warm

What with the inconsistency of Michigan weather, it’s not uncommon for us to sometimes wonder whether spring has truly sprung.

But I’ve located one place where you won’t need a scarf and a pair of gloves on standby—although, you’d do well to have a bikini and a pair of goggles: .

“This is our peak season. The week leading up to spring break is generally our busiest,” said Debbie Robere, owner of Plymouth Tanfaster, which has been operating out of the same Ann Arbor Road location for 26 years.

In a time when tanning salons (and nail salons) are virtually like crabgrass—they’re everywhere—it’s clear that Robere and her team have found the golden recipe for success. During the course of my interview with Robere, a passel of satisfied customers—all of whom Robere knew by name—came waltzing through the door with lotion in hand. Chris Menard of Canton was the first.

“I have tried other tanning places,” said Menard. “But I keep coming back here because it’s clean, friendly, fast and it gives me good color. I’ve been coming here for 15 years, and I’ve never burned!”

Recently, Robere shared with me the ABCs of tanning properly and, most important, how she keeps her clients from getting burned. 

Plymouth Patch: How did you come to work in the tanning industry?

Debbie Robere: It was 1980, and I had bad acne…but no insurance. I went to the dermatologist but couldn’t afford the UVB (ultraviolet light) treatment, which alleviates acne. So he recommended tanning…but I couldn’t afford that, either. So I began cleaning Tanfaster for the founding owners, working on trade so I could tan. Never did I imagine this would become a career. Now, this is all I know, but I love it. And I love my clients. 

Plymouth Patch: Wow. That’s a neat story. How many employees do you have?

Robere: Two or three, depending on the season. 

Plymouth Patch: Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. There is so much criticism out there—and I’m sure you’ve heard it—that tanning is bad for you. What is your response to that?

Robere: Anything in excess is not good; tanning properly, however, is fine. Tanning should be a process that is nice, slow and gradual. I’m in control here. 

Plymouth Patch: Whoa. I can tell you mean business. Explain what you mean by control.

Robere: It’s what sets us apart from other tanning salons…I dictate the length of my clients’ tanning sessions—and my employees do the same, or they will be fired. The skin is our body’s largest organ, and we should never overexpose it. I’ve had people storm out of here because they wanted to tan for just one minute longer, or they didn’t want to wear any goggles to protect their eyes. They’ll plead, “So and so up the street lets me tan longer!” or “They don’t make me wear goggles at the gym!” I don’t care, and I tell my employees that they need to have the gumption to stand up to the yelling. Safety comes first. This is the reason I’ve earned the trust of so many parents. 

Plymouth Patch: How long does it take to tan, or to see some kind or result?

Robere: After four to six hours, then you see what you get. If, for example, you’re out in the sun, and then, later, your skin is red and burning…you’ll notice that it’s generally four to six hours later when you realize it. I’ve had people come out after a few minutes of tanning and say, “Oh, I’m not tan enough, I want to go back in.” But the truth is, they won’t know what their true color will be until hours later. It takes three to five visits to really see noticeable results. 

Plymouth Patch: Explain the difference between tanning indoors and tanning outside in the sun.

Robere: Ultraviolet radiation is made of UVB (ultraviolet B rays) and UVA (ultraviolet A rays). UVB penetrates the surface (top) layer of the skin, mixes with amino acids, and produces melanin; UVA is what oxidizes the melanin that is produced, which gives us color—we use sunblock to block UVA rays and prevent sunburn. The difference is that we can’t control the amount of UVB and UVA we receive outside, but tanning indoors is a controlled environment—5 percent UVB and 95 percent UVA. 

Plymouth Patch: What kind of tanning methods does Tanfaster offer?

Robere: We provide custom-made premium-level tanning beds—which have 34 lamps in each bed, stand-up tanning booths and an Orbit bed, which is a high-performance tanning bed that intensifies your existing color. We also offer airbrush tanning, which is a form of spray tan. 

Plymouth Patch: Tell me about some of your specials.

Robere: Well, we offer a free tanning session on birthdays, and first-time clients receive 100 minutes, which never expire, for $25. Also, a full-body airbrush tan is $30. 

Plymouth Patch: There is this stigma that tanning makes one look older than what he/she really is…but you are energetic, and quite youthful. (And, no, that’s not just gratuitous flattery.) Do you think tanning actually keeps you young?

Robere: (laughing) Yes…it definitely keeps me young. I also work around young people, so that helps, too.