Sun Safety Myth?

I think we must apply the common sense factor: if it's hot and sunny outside, sunblock should likely be applied. (and hey, that rhymes... :))

Well here in Hawaii the sun is still out and can be strong even at 4:00pm.

Depends also where you are on the planet.
The sun hits differently at the equator.

Where'd you hear this craziness, dear?

The sun can damage your skin at ANY time during the day. Yes, it is LESS damaging during the later hours, because you aren't getting such direct rays, but it's still damage nonetheless.

Wear hats, sunscreen, eye protection. Please.

I asked my dermatologist about this last month. He admitted that the UVB is transmitted less in the early morning and evening hours (he didn't specify times of day). But he emphasized that even though it is diminished, sunscreen is still a must when spending time outdoors. Less does not mean it won't damage your skin still.

I've been burned later in the day. I wouldn't take that seriously at all.

ANY sun can damage the skin. The sun is STILL out, correct? I mean, just because it's not as strong...does not mean it's gone. Sure, the most potent damage usually happens between 10:00-4:00 pm, but if the sun is there...so is the possibility of damage. There is never a time that the sun can't damage you, until it is dark.

We all NEED sunlight and vitamin D. BUT, to assume that at any time the sun can't cause (when it's not set) damage is just false.

I have very burnable skin (I'm a freckled red-head) and have found that I don't actually burn after the sun's angle in the sky is at least 60% from directly overhead (that would vary by your latitude). But the damaging radiation is still there, just less intense. So I always wear long sleeves and a hat, even in summer, if I'm going to be outside (I'm allergic to stuff in sunscreens).

However, if you can tan, there are some studies that suggest that a moderate, continuous tan is actually protective, as long as it's obtained gradually and not in big, concentrated exposures. That's what the skin produces melanin for; to protect against the sun.

In Michigan? Yeah, there's probably some truth to that. I have very fair skin and rarely wear sunscreen and when I do, it's non-toxic. I really think that the toxins in sunscreen and lack of natural Vitamin D are worse than the sun. In the middle of the summer I'll wear some if we're at the beach or pool or are working in the yard for a while but when I go for an early morning or evening jog or go play with the kids outside after work I definitely don't bother.

I'm not sure that it cannot damage the skin, but the damage would definitely be less because the sun's rays are not as direct as they are during the mid-afternoon.

Its not the time of day, its the angle of the sun and how much lands on your skin.

It also varies with where you live, what day of the year it is and what time it is. You will have absolutely no skin damage to your skin from the sun in January at 6 pm or 4 pm in Fairbanks, Alaska. However if you are in New Deli, India in January, you may want to apply sunblock for being exposed to the sun at 4 pm or 6 pm.

Good luck to you and yours.

I could easily get a sunburn at 4pm here in New Mexico due to the high altitude, lack of smog, and intensity of the sun. Probably not at 6pm, but it's still sun! Of course it's still damaging our skin... just not as much.

I will be interested to hear the responses on this one...

I grew up in California and was *always* told that the early a.m. sun was WAY more dangerous than the afternoon sun...I remember hearing many reasons as to why that may be, the most logical (to my young brain) was that all the smog and morning haze and overcast mornings lead you to believe you were not really getting all the sun that you truly were getting!

I have not heard that before, but I would think it makes sense. Some sun is good for you. I am actually very low in vit. D so I have to take supplements and be in the sun with out sunscreen for 15 to 20 minutes a day.

That might have stemmed from the fact that sun is most strong/ damaging when high in sky ( 10 till 3 or so). By 4 the sun is further from you, but on a hot day you can still get a bad burn.

Even cloud cover cannot protect us from the damaging rays. . Thunderheads not a problem, Altostratus, where the sun is hazy, is still sending damaging rays to our skin.

If the sun is out, you are exposed to the sun and risk getting skin cancer. Likewise, you can also burn on a cloudy day. It's best to use sunscreen daily, rain or shine.

Any sun can damage you. Even overcast skies can damage you. Use sunscreen. Don't tan. Wear floppy hats. Sorry, but I'm a little sensitive since a friend died a couple of days ago from melanoma that viciously ravaged him. Stay out of the sun people.

the sun is never 'safe.'
just glorious.
:)
i think the rush to put sunscreen on all the time has probably caused almost as much skin cancer as the poor demonized Chariot of Helios. chemicals on one's biggest organ all the time is just not healthy.
i use sunscreen sparingly if i'm going to be out when the sun is strongest. i don't take sun damage lightly, but i also choose not to shrink away in fear. i love being outdoors, love summer, and refuse to be a vampire.
but that's me. i do tend to take a more cautious line with kids. but hats and light protective clothing are much better for them than daily sunscreen.
okay, i'm not answering your question, am i? it is not true that later-in-the-day sun canNOT damage your skin. any sun can. but it's much less likely to.
take sensible precautions and enjoy that vitamin D-rich sunlight.
:) khairete
S.