Incorporating air brush tanning in my salon

[kgg]

Originally Posted by SouthBeachSunWV

Is the Norvell Overspray Booth worth looking at purchasing?

I opted not to buy the overspray booth and had my overspray setup built, which was inexpensive and has been very easy to maintain.

Estimated Cost for hardware/parts for the Overspray Filtration Unit $175.00
(3) 20inch Box Fans
(7) Air Filters (4 of 20x30 and 3 20x20)
(1) Box of Heavy Duty Velcro
(4) Black Spray Paint Cans
(or if you want you could use your airbrush or hvlp unit and get black paint in a can)
Box of screws for metal

The estimated total cost to build and decorate my spray room was $900.00 (including parts and labor) (room has brown fabric walls that can be taken down and washed, lanoleum flooring, as well as a industrial black rubber matting for spray station, turbine unit and airbursh units are both housed in a silencer box (equipped with sound proof foaming and air cooling unit that keeps the box aerated so the unit wont overheat... the turbine unit is so quiet that the overspray fans are actually louder). Lighting was actually preexisting track lighting so we purchased full spectrum bright bulbs and have the lamps illuminating the spray station (no shadows thank god)

Some salon owners one here opt to have one fan located to the side of their spray areas. I would not recommend this if you are doing over 5 sprays a day. One fan is not sufficient to filter the air (especially if you decide to buy an airbrush system).
The reason why I state this is because my salon is all white walls and countertops etc etc, eventhough you dont see the solution overspray in the air it really is there ... i didnt run the overspray fans a couple times and then when I went to dust and clean there was dha overspray all over the white front counter.. you couldnt see it by eye but once I sprayed simple green on it .. it turned brown!

ALSO! I would suggest investing in air filtration/sanitizing units. I actually have 2 in my studio. One is located in the waiting room and the other is in the hallway out side my changing rooms and spray rooms.

If you would like I can email you pics of the overspray filtration unit that I had built.

just pm me with your email addy and I will take pics for you later this evening.

[Kathe]

Yeah Jeff what's up with that? LOL J/K

[dcjjp1]

We do only a few per week now, I don't see me making any more investment toward it, once I was doing 5 per day + then perhaps. This works well.

I had a girl that has been doing them for years with a black sheet on the floor and a little fan. No issues...

I don't know what everyone is saying about tons of overspray with airbrush vs. HLVP, I don't experience really much at all.

[Kathe]

I would think you would get less overspray with airbrush than with HVLP not more.

[kgg]

Originally Posted by Kathe

I would think you would get less overspray with airbrush than with HVLP not more.

With regard to overspray, the difference between airbrush and hvlp units is the following:

Airbrush Units:

There is more 'bounce back' of the solution to targeted surface. The solution that you are spraying, the stream has more wide open and it takes 1. longer 2. more solution to penetrate the targeted surface. When it does reach that targeted surface (ie the clients skin) some of it actually doesnt settle right on, but actually bounces off (overspray)

HVLP Units have a minimal amount of 'bounce back' of the solution to the targeted surface. HVLP is 'high volume low pressure' The solution that you are spraying, the stream that it has is more centered and concentrated and it 1. hits the targeted surface faster 2. takes less solution to penetrate the targeted surface (ie the clients skin) much of the solution that hits the skin actually stays and does not bounce back. The reason for this is because of the difference in air pressure and flow.

(Ive had many discussions with regard to the differences of both systems w/ body shop repair men. The reason why body shops use hvlp?! It paints better, less overspray, paints the surface smother faster and more accuratley, and takes less time and paint to do so.)

[Kathe]

I guess it depends on how open you have your nozzle. Thanks for explaining.

[kgg]

Originally Posted by Kathe

I guess it depends on how open you have your nozzle. Thanks for explaining.

with regard to spray pattern and size, with an airbrush for spray tanning you have the pattern wide the widest attainable being 4-6 inches, but as stated earlier, the solution being sprayed out of the airbrush @ that setting will not hit the targeted surface as fast or as acurately compared to an hvlp unit. The bounce back of solution is high.

When the fan pattern is tightened down the bounce back is less, but then again that setting is only ideal for body contouring, since the spray pattern size is smaller than 2 inches. And you wouldnt want to use a 3inch or smaller spray pattern while spray tanning an entire body.

[agk453]

Originally Posted by wjonestn

I'm a male owner as well and do all of our sprays you just have to be professional.
You could try to hire someone to do it.
It take lots of practice when I started we ran an ad on craigslist and myspace gave them away.Thats the best way to do it free practice. Be sure to let ppl know you will be the one spraying them.
Most ppl don't care.
Just get a good HPLV system you can find them used on ebay.
The solution is what makes it.
Good Luck

Same thing for me. Male owner, doing all the sprays. I worried about it as well when I started, but as wjonestn says, people don't really care as long as they know up front and you make them feel comfortable. I do make sure that there is someone else in the shop when I do the sprays for safety's sake though.

As Wjonestn says, practice a lot. I worked at it for about a month - spraying sheets with water, then towels with solution, then about a dozen volunteers who had to come back the next day so we could see the true before and after results. It's paid off - I'm no hugely busy (yet) but repeats and referrals are starting to come in.

[wjonestn]

WOW that looks really nice. You did a great job on it.

[SouthBeachSunWV]

Sounds like HVLP is the better option? I have an enclosed room, so I'm guessing I should put a ventilator fan in the wall?

[wjonestn]

Ventilation really helps even if its only a fan and a filter

[Kathe]

Originally Posted by SouthBeachSunWV

Sounds like HVLP is the better option? I have an enclosed room, so I'm guessing I should put a ventilator fan in the wall?

Our room is enclosed and we have a stand alone extractor fan. It works fine.

[wjonestn]

We use a lasko filter fan like this one
Lasko Products - Box Fans - Model 3733

[SouthBeachSunWV]

Oh great, I was going to put a fan in the wall. Glad I avoided that expense. You guys have been really helpful.

So is HVLP the way to go?

[wjonestn]

Hvlp is the way to go
If you have the space I would install a exhaust fan to pull it outside