Sun Daze owner Miriam Lack recently added swimsuits and other fashions to her offerings of skin products and time on a tanning bed.

Achieving a perfect tan doesn’t require you to burn your skin at the beach or get light-headed with heat exhaustion from sunbathing, but you may be dazed by the rich, even skin color you’ll develop after only a few sessions on a tanning bed – all without damaging burns or hours of laying around.

  At Sun Daze tanning salon and boutique (5050 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 885-5412), enriching your skin color is never a risky business, because the staff is trained to determine each individual’s safe exposure limits and whether customers are taking photosensitive medications or have other conditions that restrict tanning bed use.

  "When [customers] fill out ‘new client’ forms, they have to answer questions about their skin type and what happens when they go out in the sun for a certain period of time," says Sun Daze owner Miriam Lack. Then we set up an exposure schedule that they follow; for fair skin, you start with four or five minutes. The exposure time goes up a minute or two a visit until they work up to the full exposure time of 20 minutes. Once you’re up to 20 minutes, that’s as high as you go, and only once in a 24-hour period."

  Lack also gives customers information about skin care, UV exposure, the how to use a tanning bed and other related issues. One of the hardest parts of the job is convincing customers to take it slow and not to expect a Hawaiian tan in one visit.

  "You have to get people away from the mentality that they should burn, then tan," says the proprietor, who has worked in the industry for about eight years. "The hardest thing is to educate people. Tanning is a gradual process. You don’t want them to burn." Customers who begin with fair skin normally must repeat a low exposure several times for a week, then start stepping up their time on the bed before they see a real difference, she says. Even after a trip to the salon, it takes the body several hours to complete the oxidizing process that browns the skin’s pigment.

  Many people use tanning beds to maintain their summer tans or to lay a base that will protect them from burning when they’re outside. Once a customer has achieved the degree of tan desired, weekly trips to Sun Daze’s 10-minute tanning bed will maintain the color. In addition, exposures from tanning beds are much more consistent than those bestowed by nature.

  "You’re in a controlled environment," Lack says. "You’re getting the same [degree of] exposure each time you visit. If you’re in the sun every day for five days, you can’t control the exposure like you can inside. It depends on whether it is sunny, how close you are to the equator, how cloudy it is, etc. This is indoor tanning. It’s the easy, painless way of doing it."

  Not only does Sun Daze deliver on its promise of a beautiful tan, this season Lack introduced a boutique in the front of the store that offers stylish, shape-flattering swimsuits, leisure wear, handbags, shoes, jewelry, accessories and more. With a customer base that runs the age gamut from 12 to 75, Lack says she has tried to provide an option for almost everyone, with an emphasis on 30- to 50-year-olds. There are plenty of bathing suits as well as capri pants, active wear, Modavi moccasins, dresses and tops by fashion notables such as Sauvage, Desiderata, XOXO, Liz Claiborne, Becca, Endless Sun, Caribkalenda, Vache and others.

  "The people I cater to want clothing and swimwear of higher quality and more unique designs so they won’t find the same styles all over the place," Lack says. "I really listen to what people say ... and it changes what I order." Swimwear that ranges from skimpy bikinis to more modest two pieces and tank suits that cover the entire midriff, all with more support for key figure areas. For weekend wear, Lack focuses on cool, easy-care fabrics such as washable linen and styles that are contemporary yet comfortable.

  "We want everyone to look their best," Lack says. "We try to work with you to help you find the best [style] for you personally. The average woman does not have a perfect body. They want stylish things with support ... and more coverage."