The Need for Sun Protection Doesn’t End with Fall/Winter’s Arrival

04 Sep The Need for Sun Protection Doesn’t End with Fall/Winter’s Arrival

Essential Outdoor Sun Safety Tips for Winter

From Penobscot Bay Pilot

Unfortunately, the wonderful sunny days of summer have come and gone.  The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and the swimming pool is gettting ready to close up for the long, blustery winter.  What may come as a surprise to most, however, is that the need to protect your family’s skin from the harsh, damaging rays of the sun doesn’t go away with the passing of the seasons.  This post from Penobscot Bay Pilot gives some useful and informative tips about Ultra Violet protection from the sun during the winter months, which will help keep the potential for skin cancer at bay until Summer comes around again.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

Winter sports enthusiasts are at increased risk for overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The combination of higher altitude and UV rays reflected by the snow puts skiers and snowboarders at an increased risk of sun damage, and ultimately skin cancer. More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are associated with sun exposure.

“It’s easy to associate winter with frostbite and windburn, but most people are unaware that UV rays can be every bit as damaging on the slopes as on the beach,” said Perry Robins, MD, President, The Skin Cancer Foundation. “With the winter sports season ahead of us, it’s more important than ever to take proper precautions on the slopes.”

Higher altitude means increased risk of sun-induced skin damage, since UV radiation exposure increases 4 to 5 percent with every 1,000 feet above sea level. At an altitude of 9,000 to 10,000 feet, UV radiation may be 35 to 45 percent more intense than at sea level. In addition, snow reflects up to 80 percent of the UV light from the sun, meaning that you are often hit by the same rays twice. This only increases the risk for damage.

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