Winter 2010 (Vol. 27, No.4)

A Message from the President

With winter upon us, we hope you will continue to provide your skin with much-needed sun protection. The intensity of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation is not simply linked to air temperature, and while bright, hot, sunny days always pose UV risks, you can damage your skin on cold or cloudy days as well. This is because even when it’s overcast, between 50 and 80 percent of UV rays penetrate the clouds to reach the skin. Unfortunately not every- one is aware of this. In a recent report on the sun-protective behaviors of adults at various ski resorts in Archives of Dermatology, researchers discovered that among the skiers and snowboarders, “more individuals wore sunscreen, reapplied it after two hours, and wore sunscreen lip balm when skies were clear.” As the authors noted, cloudy skies and colder weather actually tend to result in more sunburns, simply because people are less likely to protect themselves with sunscreen, UV-blocking sunglasses, hats, and other protective items when the skies are gray.

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Sun and Skin News Winter 2010 (Vol. 27, No. 4)