July marks UV Safety Awareness month, a topic all older adults should be familiar with as part of healthy skin care and skin cancer prevention.
Ultraviolet radiation, known as UV radiation, is a form of electromagnetic radiation that is made by the sun. Because our skin is directly exposed to UV rays from the sun when we’re outside, it can be damaged by this exposure.
Understanding UV radiation and UV safety are especially important during the summer months when more time is spent outdoors. But regardless of the time of year, taking simple precautions to protect your skin from UV damage should be a priority.
Read on for more details and some easy steps you can incorporate into your daily routine!
The basics: UV radiation
Although UV radiation can come from some artificial sources (like tanning beds), the most common source of UV radiation is sunlight. 1 UV radiation is a type of energy.
There are three types of UV radiation:
- UVA- long UV wavelengths with lower energy, easily transmitted through the atmosphere. 95% of UV rays that reach your skin are UVA rays. 2
- UVB- shorter UV wavelengths with higher energy, partially transmitted through the atmosphere.
- UVC- the shortest UV wavelength with the highest energy, blocked completely by the ozone layer in the atmosphere.
Because UVA and UVB rays reach the earth, these are the parts of UV radiation that commonly cause skin damage.
The amount of UV radiation reaching the earth depends on many factors, including where you are located, the time of year, the time of day, cloud cover, and more. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) forecasts the Ultraviolet Index (UVI) by zipcode so that you can see how high UV levels are in your area each day. The higher the number, the higher the level of UV radiation your skin is exposed to.
Risks due to UV exposure
There are several established risks to UV exposure. These include:
- Skin damage
- Skin cancer
- Eye damage
- Immune system damage
It’s worth mentioning again that although sunlight is the main source of UV exposure, using tanning beds can also cause the same damage caused by UV radiation from sunlight.
Let’s look more closely at each of these possible problems due to UV exposure.
Skin damage
Because UV radiation causes DNA damage to cells, it can cause premature aging of the skin, sometimes called photoaging. The EPA notes that 90% of skin changes thought to be related to aging are caused by sun exposure. 3
Symptoms of skin damage due to UV exposure include wrinkles, thick or leathery skin, brown spots (sometimes called liver spots), and a condition called actinic keratosis. These are red, rough-textured skin growths that often appear on the face, arms, hands, or neck. If you find a growth that looks like this, you should have it checked by a doctor.
Skin cancer
Actinic keratosis can be a precancerous growth, and several types of skin cancer have been connected to UV exposure. Most skin cancers appear after age 50, and over 1 million non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed each year. 4 Skin cancers caused by UV exposure include:
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Melanoma
The CDC recommends contacting your doctor if you notice any changes to an existing mole, a sore that doesn’t heal, or a new growth you haven’t noticed before, especially if it changes rapidly. 5
Eye damage
UV exposure can also affect the eyes. Some eye conditions related to UV exposure include:
- Photokeratitis (similar to a sunburn of the eye)
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Pterygium (where tissue grows on the eye’s surface)
- Cancer of the eye
Immune system damage
The World Health Organization notes that UV exposure has several negative effects on the immune system by suppressing it: 6
- Potential development of skin cancers
- Increased risk of bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections
- Reduced vaccine effectiveness
UV safety tips
With all of these established risks to UV exposure, what safety tips can you follow to reduce UV damage?
The CDC recommends taking safety measures anytime the UV index is 3 or higher. 7 They also note that less than 50 percent of older adults do so, despite higher rates of skin cancer in this age group. 8 There are several things you can do to counter harmful rays from the sun:
- Seek shade- being in the shade partially reduces UV exposure, but not fully. 9 It’s a good strategy to use in combination with other protective measures, though. It can also help you to avoid overheating in high temperatures.
- Wear protective clothing- long sleeves can help block some UV rays, and tightly woven clothing may be more protective. Look for clothing that is UPF rated. Clothing with a UPF rating of 30 or higher can earn the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Approval. 10 Dark-colored clothing may also offer better protection than lighter clothing.
- Wear sunscreen- this is an important strategy to reduce UV damage. It’s recommended to use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 (some organizations recommend at least SPF 30 for outdoor activities). Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours or after swimming. 11
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat- a hat can help shield your face, neck, and eyes from UV exposure.
- Wear sunglasses- don’t forget your eyes! You can reduce UV exposure by wearing protective sunglasses. The FDA recommends using sunglasses with a UV 400 rating or “100% UV protection” on the label. 12
UV safety is an important part of your health
It’s also important to keep the above tips in mind if you are a caregiver for an older adult. Older adults with dementia, for example, may not be aware of skin damage like sunburn happening and may not report discomfort. Establishing a routine for applying sunscreen and making sure that any professional caregivers have access to sun-protective clothing, accessories, and extra sunscreen is important.
As you can see, there are many reasons to incorporate UV safety into your daily self-care activities. Whether you’re at home this summer or traveling, and trying to enjoy the health benefits of getting outdoors, it’s easy to avoid both the short and long-term consequences of UV exposure with a few extra steps.
If you’re looking for in-home caregiver services to help with daily care tasks like implementing UV safety, Caresify can help! You can read more about available care here, or call 888-799-5007.
References
- https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/tanning/ultraviolet-uv-radiation
- https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/uv-radiation.html
- https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/health-effects-uv-radiation#aging
- https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/cancer/skin-cancer/causes-skin-cancer/effects-uv-exposure.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/symptoms.htm
- https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/Radiation-effects-of-ultraviolet-(uv)-radiation-on-the-skin-eyes-and-immune-system
- https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm
- https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/research/articles/older-adults-protect-skin-sun.htm
- https://www.skincancer.org/blog/healthy-skin-made-in-the-shade/
- https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sun-protective-clothing/
- https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm
- https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/tips-stay-safe-sun-sunscreen-sunglasses
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