Spray Tan Consent Form Template: Intake, Waiver, and Contraindication Checklist

The short answer

A spray tan consent form should do more than collect a signature.

It should confirm:

• client contact details;
• skin type and tan goal;
• relevant contraindications;
• recent waxing, shaving, laser, sunburn, peels, or retinoid use;
• pregnancy or respiratory sensitivity notes;
• DHA exposure acknowledgment;
• cancellation, late-arrival, and no-show policy acceptance;
• photo release choice;
• aftercare and rinse instructions.

The best form is short enough for clients to complete before the appointment and specific enough that the artist can change the service safely.

This is not legal advice. Use the structure below as an operations checklist, then have your attorney or insurance provider review the final waiver language for your state.

Why generic waiver templates miss spray tan risk

Most waiver templates are written for salons generally. Spray tan has a narrower risk profile.

The issue is not only "client agrees to service." The artist needs to know whether the appointment should change before solution touches skin.

Examples:

• a client waxed 4 hours ago and may get dark follicle dots;
• a client is using a retinoid and may absorb unevenly;
• a client has active sunburn and should reschedule;
• a pregnant client wants extra exposure precautions;
• a client has asthma and should avoid inhaling overspray;
• a client wants a dark rapid tan but is Fitzpatrick Type I.

A good consent form catches these issues before the artist is standing in the tent trying to decide from memory.

Template section 1: client identity

Keep this section boring and complete.

If your studio serves minors, add a parent or guardian consent workflow. Do not rely on a generic adult waiver for a minor booking.

Template section 2: skin profile and tan goal

This section helps the artist choose solution, depth, and rinse timing.

Ask:

• Have you had a spray tan before?
• What result do you want: subtle glow, medium bronze, dark, competition, or event-specific?
• What is your Fitzpatrick skin type?
• Do you usually burn, tan gradually, or tan easily?
• Do you prefer a classic 8-hour tan or rapid rinse if available?
• Is this tan for a wedding, prom, vacation, photo shoot, competition, or recurring maintenance?

Tie this to your CRM. A client's favorite solution, guide color, depth, and rinse window should not disappear after one appointment.

Bronzly stores client tan history so repeat appointments start from the last successful result instead of asking the same questions every visit.

Template section 3: contraindication screening

Use plain questions. Clients answer more accurately when the wording sounds practical instead of clinical.

The form should not diagnose medical conditions. It should give the artist enough information to pause, modify, or refer the client to a medical professional when needed.

Template section 4: DHA and exposure acknowledgment

Use simple language that reflects the actual service.

Example language to review with counsel:

"I understand that spray tanning uses a cosmetic sunless tanning solution applied to the outer layer of the skin. The active tanning ingredient may include DHA. I understand that spray tan does not provide UV protection and that I should continue using sunscreen outdoors. I agree to follow the artist's instructions to protect my eyes, lips, nose, and other sensitive areas during application."

The FDA allows DHA as a color additive for external application, but spray services should still protect areas that are not meant for exposure, including eyes, lips, and mucous membranes. This is why professional studios use ventilation, nose filters or plugs, lip balm, and eye protection policies.

Template section 5: prep confirmation

Ask clients to confirm the prep steps before they arrive.

This is not just documentation. It changes outcomes. Many uneven tan complaints start before the appointment because the client did not understand prep.

Use spray tan prep instructions SMS and spray tan client intake form as companion workflows.

Template section 6: policy acknowledgment

Your form should point to the actual booking policy the client agreed to.

Include:

• cancellation window;
• late-cancel fee;
• no-show fee;
• deposit terms;
• late-arrival policy;
• card-on-file authorization if applicable;
• refund or correction policy;
• mobile travel fee or service-area rules if applicable.

Keep this policy consistent across the booking page, confirmation message, waiver, and receipt. If the waiver says one thing and the booking page says another, the studio creates avoidable dispute risk.

Bronzly keeps deposits, no-show fees, card-on-file workflows, and booking-policy acknowledgments connected to the appointment instead of scattered across PDFs and text threads.

Template section 7: photo release

Before-and-after photos are powerful, but consent needs to be explicit.

Offer choices:

Do not bury photo permission inside a broad waiver. Make it a separate checkbox so clients can say yes to service and no to marketing.

Template section 8: aftercare and rinse acknowledgment

The consent form should confirm the client understands the first rinse and early aftercare rules.

Ask the client to acknowledge:

• first rinse timing depends on the solution and desired depth;
• rinse with lukewarm water only unless the artist says otherwise;
• no soap, scrubbing, shaving, sweating, pools, hot tubs, or tight clothing during the early development window;
• moisturize after the first 24 hours;
• spray tan does not protect against sunburn.

This is where automation matters. A checkbox at booking is useful, but the client still needs the right reminder at the right time.

Bronzly sends solution-aware rinse reminders and aftercare messages so the client does not have to remember instructions from the waiver.

Copy-and-paste outline

Use this as a starting structure:

1. Client identity and contact information
2. Service date, artist, location, and appointment type
3. Skin type, prior spray tan history, and desired result
4. Contraindication and sensitivity screening
5. DHA and sunless tanning acknowledgment
6. Prep confirmation
7. Cancellation, deposit, and no-show policy acknowledgment
8. Photo release choice
9. Aftercare and rinse instruction acknowledgment
10. Client signature, date, and parent or guardian signature when required

Short forms get completed. Specific forms protect the result. The best consent form is both.

Digital vs paper forms

Paper forms are better than nothing, but they create three problems:

• artists forget to review them before the appointment;
• forms are hard to search when the client returns;
• policy acknowledgment is disconnected from the actual booking.

Digital forms make the workflow operational. The artist sees flagged answers before the appointment. The client record stores skin type, allergies, preferred solution, and waiver status. Rinse reminders and aftercare can fire automatically after the appointment.

That is the real difference between a waiver and an intake system.

The practical rule

Use the consent form to protect the client, the artist, and the result.

If a field would not change how you spray, schedule, charge, or follow up, remove it. If a field would change the service, make it required.

Use Bronzly to collect spray tan intake forms, policy acknowledgment, client tan history, deposits, rinse reminders, and aftercare automation in one workflow.