An oft-repeated predisposition about the professional indoor tanning business is that it caters to a young clientele and that the older, mature audience stays away. But that may be changing.

A February SmartTan.com poll of tanning businesses showed that 88 percent of tanning businesses report that their 40-and-older client base has increased in raw numbers in the past two years. While the poll is not scientific, it’s highly directional findings cannot be ignored.

“It makes perfect sense,” International Smart Tan Network Chairman Matt D. Russell said. “The tanning business is becoming more and more professional. We know that professionalism-related standards have always been the number one factor in retaining clients 35 and older in tanning today.”

There is no question that the emergence of vitamin D science in the past two years – research vindicating the indoor tanning community’s long-held position that moderate UV exposure is natural and necessary for people who can develop tans – has made indoor tanning a smarter choice in the minds of many in the 40-and-over crowd. They are certainly in the position to see that a sensible, moderate, smart approach to embracing sunlight makes sense as a practical part of a responsible lifestyle.

“The science has come around to support us, and tanning facilities themselves are more and more professional – both of which make tanning in an non-burning fashion more attractive for the 40-and-over crowd,” Russell said.

For more information visit www.TanningTruth.com – Smart Tan’s consumer web site.