Vitamin D Tanning salon opens in downtown Grand Rapids

The new Vitamin D Tanning salon that opened in downtown Grand Rapids this week promises to become a new hot spot of sorts.

Owners Jeff and Tammy Rider, both employees of downtown Blue Cross Blue Shield, signed a lease to open their startup company in a vacant storefront building at 53 Monroe Center NW, a few doors west of the Grand Rapids Police Department. It will feature seven tanning beds and two stand-ups with levels 1 and 2 tanning.

"We kept hearing from people downtown about the lack of a tanning salon," Tammy says about the couple's research to open a business they can operate after retirement. "We saw so much opportunity down here. This area is coming alive. And we can take advantage of being in a Renaissance Zone."

The Riders hired two full-time employees to run the salon while they maintain their jobs at nearby BCBS.

Tammy says they are confident of overcoming concerns about the health risks medical experts associate with indoor tanning, particularly the potential increase of skin cancer.  "There are risks with any activity you do,"' says Tammy who became certified by the National Tanning Training Institute  before launching the business.  "But in moderation, tanning can provide you with a significant amount of vitamin D."

Many individuals suffer from a deficiency of vitamin D, sometimes called the sunshine vitamin.  In its press release announcing the salon's opening, the Riders say sufficient levels of vitamin D can prevent certain cancers, balance serotonin and melatonin, and aid in the prevention of osteoporosis onset.

Besides the benefits of vitamin D, some physicians recommend indoor tanning to patients who suffer from psoriasis or eczema, Tammy adds.  "The symptoms of those skin conditions are reduced through some exposure."  Individuals who suffer from seasonal affect disorder.  during the late fall and winter, a depressed state some experts attribute to reduced sunlight, can also benefit from tanning, she notes.

The salon is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. In January through July, it will also be open from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Sources:  Tammy Rider, Vitamin D Tanning salon; the National Alliance of Mental Health website

Sharon Hanks is the editor of innovation and jobs news at Rapid Growth Media.  She can be reached at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia