Chronic sun damage is a preventative condition and daily sun protection is recommended for both young and mature skin. Here are three sun protection myths that have been debunked by the Cancer Council.
1. Sun damage is not possible on windy, cloudy or cool days.
FALSE. Sun damage is caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation and not temperature. A cool or overcast day in summer can have the same damaging effects and similar UV levels to a warm, sunny day. UV radiation also penetrates clouds, so a cloudy day does not protect us from sun damage.
2. Fake tan darkens the skin, protecting the skin from the sun.
FALSE. Fake tan does not improve the body’s ability to protect itself from the sun. Wearing sunscreen is still necessary and should be applied for protection.
3. Sunscreen is not necessary when using makeup with SPF.
FALSE. Unless the makeup product has a rating of SPF30 or higher and is a TGA (Therapeutic Goods Australia) listed sunscreen product, then additional sunscreen is necessary for protection for an extended period of time.