DHA exposure tracking
Per-client cumulative tracking
DHA is the active ingredient in every spray tan, and the industry posture in 2026 is to track cumulative exposure for very-frequent clients. Most platforms ignore it. Goldenhour computes per-client banding automatically and surfaces it on the client card.
Posture, not policy
The science on cumulative DHA exposure is unsettled. Goldenhour’s bands implement the precautionary principle + reflect current industry best practice; they are NOT a regulatory or medical standard. The final call on whether to take a client’s booking always belongs to the artist + (where relevant) their client’s physician.
The bands
Three levels surfaced on the client card
Normal
Standard cadence: at or below the configured rolling 90-day frequency threshold. No action needed. The artist proceeds as usual.
Caution
Above the caution threshold. The artist should: confirm PPE / mask use on the next session, mention the cumulative band to the client, and suggest a longer minimum interval between sprays going forward.
High
Above the high threshold. The artist should pause, have a real conversation with the client about cumulative exposure, recommend they consult their physician for very-high-frequency cases. Goldenhour does NOT block the booking; this is a flag, not a gate.
Configurable thresholds
Four knobs per account
- highWindow90Count: sessions in a rolling 90-day window that triggers the high band.
- cautionWindow90Count: same window, lower threshold, triggers caution.
- cautionAnnualCount: sessions in a rolling 365-day window that triggers caution. Catches the “weekly tanner for 6 months” pattern.
- minDaysBetweenSprays: minimum gap. The booking flow can pre-flag a too-soon booking before the customer confirms.
Default thresholds in goldenhour reflect current industry guidance. Override in Settings → DHA thresholds if you want to be more conservative for your clinical posture.
How to use it
- 01When opening any client card, glance at the DHA exposure badge near the top of the card. Most clients show Normal.
- 02For Caution clients: confirm PPE + mention exposure at the next session. Use the prep checklist’s mask question to confirm.
- 03For High clients: have a real conversation. Many will voluntarily space their bookings; some will choose to continue + sign a custom waiver acknowledging the cumulative band.
- 04Customize the thresholds in Settings → DHA thresholds if your clinical posture is more conservative than the defaults.
FAQ
- What is DHA?
- Dihydroxyacetone: the FDA-approved active ingredient in nearly all sunless tan products. It reacts with the outer layer of skin (the stratum corneum) to produce a temporary color change. Topical DHA has decades of safe use; the unsettled question is around inhalation during spray application + cumulative exposure for very-frequent users.
- Why track exposure?
- The FDA recommends that consumers be advised against inhaling or ingesting DHA + protect the eyes / lips / mucous membranes during application. Industry best practice has extended this to tracking cumulative exposure for clients who book very frequently: the science is unsettled but the precautionary principle says to know who's getting how much.
- What are the bands and what should I do with them?
- Normal = standard spray-tan cadence (≤ recommended frequency in the rolling 90-day window). Caution = booking more frequently than typical; artist should ensure proper PPE + mention the band to the client. High = booking very frequently; artist should pause, talk with the client about cumulative exposure, recommend they consult their physician for very-high-frequency cases. The thresholds are configurable per account.
- Can I override the default thresholds?
- Yes. The default thresholds are sourced from current industry guidance (highWindow90Count, cautionWindow90Count, cautionAnnualCount, minDaysBetweenSprays). Per-account override is stored in account.dhaThresholdsJson; validate input via normalizeDhaThresholds before persisting.