Did you know that sun protection should be a daily consideration in South Africa? This is due to our sub-tropical climate and overall, relatively high UV levels all year-round.
There are groups of people that are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of the sun and need more vigorous protection against UV radiation. These groups include babies and children, people with very light-coloured skin, people with genetic diseases such as albinism, people with conditions that make them immunosuppressed and people with jobs exposing them to high UV radiation such as pilots. Darker skin individuals might not be as susceptible to develop UV-related skin cancers, but they develop hyperpigmentation (uneven skin tone) and accelerated skin aging when exposed to UV radiation. (surprisingly visible light from smart devices can also increase hyperpigmentation)
How do I protect my skin against the detrimental effects of the sun:
Sun avoidance –Try and avoid the sun between 10:00 and 16:00 in general. (babies less than 6 months should not be exposed to direct sunlight)
If not possible to avoid direct sunlight these are the recommendations:
*Seek shade.
*Sun protective clothing covering exposed skin. (this includes tightly woven material like denim OR material with ultraviolet protective factor) remember a wide brimmed hat and wraparound sunglasses
*Adequate amount of sunscreen: Sunscreen with the following properties is recommended as the gold standard: SPF50+ with UVA protection and cosmetic acceptability to the user
(Adequate application of sunscreen requires two fingers full of sunscreen—that is the amount squirted from a tube on the index and middle fingers from palmar crease to fingertips to each body part 15-30 min before sun exposure and re-application every 2-4 hours depending on activity level.) Read more about sunscreen.
These guidelines are from the newest review on sun protection in South Africa.
Please read it for further details:
Tod, B., Whitaker, D., Visser, W., Isaacs, T., Jacobs, T., Wiid, K., Dlova, N.C. and Wright, C.Y. (2024), Integrated sun protection advice for the South African population. Int J Dermatol, 63: 277-287. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.16980