Do we need sunscreen in winter?

NOT all sun damage happens in summer, so it’s wise to protect our skins every day of the year.

Sun

NOT all sun damage happens in summer, so itÂ’s wise to protect our skins every day of the year.

As I write this, it’s bucketing with rain. There hasn’t been a glimpse of sunshine for more than a week, but you know what I did this morning? Just like every other morning, I had a shower, put on my moisturiser, then slathered 30+ sunscreen on my face, neck and chest.

Yet, less than 20 per cent of Australian men and women wear sunscreen in winter, according to a recent survey conducted by Canstar Cannex. This is despite the highest national rate of skin cancer in the world, despite more than 70 per cent of us claiming to have sensitive skin and despite the fact that you can pick the Aussies in any international airport in the world by their crow’s-feet.

It’s true that UV levels are lower in winter, but it’s also true that 90 per cent of visible ageing is due to sun damage – and it doesn’t all happen in summer.

The Skin & Cancer Foundation’s Dr Rod Hannaford says, “There is hardly a day that goes by when UV radiation does not threaten some acceleration in skin ageing or bring forward the time when skin cancer appears.”

>> UVA and UVB

Skin cancer is caused by accumulated skin damage that starts when you’re born. UV damage is more intense for children than older people.

“Skin is more susceptible to UV radiation damage up to the age of 18,” Dr Hannaford explains. “It is no exaggeration that much of the premature skin ageing and skin cancers experienced in later life are set in motion during the early years.”

We know the fairer you are the more easily you burn but other skin types also need broad-spectrum sunscreen every day, such as sensitive and acne-prone skin.

Broad spectrum means the sunscreen protects against both the short UVB waves, which cause sunburn to the top layer of skin, and UVA, which has a longer wavelength and damages living tissue in the lower layers of skin.

Why should people with these skin types be concerned? Because UV damage causes inflammation to skin tissue and cell dehydration and compromises the immune system. Inflammation, dehydration and poor immune function are the last things you want if your skin is sensitive to begin with.

There is also a wide range of drugs and over-the-counter products used to treat rosacea and acne that make skin more prone to UV damage. These include retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, tetracycline antibiotics, metronidazole and isotretinoin.

There are many medications that make skin more sun sensitive, so if you are taking any at all, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

>> What about vitamin D?

Vitamin D keeps your teeth and bones strong, helps protect against osteoporosis, is needed to defend your body against bacterial invaders, reduces inflammation and is vital in the creation and specialisation of cells in your body.

The best source is UVB, the same stuff that gives you sunburn. UVA, the scarier form of UV radiation, is not involved in vitamin D production.

So is it a case of good skin or strong bones? Here’s what Dr Hannaford suggests: in summer, most Australians only need a few minutes of exposure to face, hands and arms to get enough vitamin D.

In winter, when UV radiation is less intense, about two to three hours a week is required. The greater the amount of skin that’s exposed, the shorter the amount of time the body needs to make enough vitamin D.

Those with a dark complexion need more time in the sun to get enough vitamin D, because the pigment in the skin reduces the absorption.

>> body+soul loves

+ Neutrogena Healthy Defence Daily Moisturiser SPF30+, $16.50, 1800 678 380.
+ Skin Doctors Supermoist SPF30+ Accelerator, $49.95, [phone].