Skin Cancer for Skiers

With all the talk about skin cancer and ultraviolet rays from the sun isn’t it interesting that no one thought about the skiers until very recently. The reflection the sun makes off the snow and the high altitudes that skiers ski at combine for a very dangerous sport. The thing is that the dangers have nothing to do with avalanches, falls causing broken bones or frostbite but with growing instances of skin cancer among skiers.

Badges for UV Radiation

To prove their point of view researchers designed badges capable of monitoring ultraviolet radiation. They learned that on the ski slopes the ultraviolet rays that a skier would be exposed to were far higher than expected and that it increased the higher the altitude. The more snow there was the higher the UV levels. This was caused by the reflection of the sun’s rays on the white snow.

It was also caused by the lesser amount of pollution at the higher altitudes. Clearer air meant more ultraviolet light getting through. The researcher’s current feeling is that the less air there is, as the higher you go the thinner the air, there is less to help disperse the radiation and so there is more to reflect off the snow. Therefore an afternoon of winter skiing is just like a day at the beach in the summer.

Tips to Skiers

So, the advice for skiers is to put on sunscreen before they go on the slopes. Wear a hat, for warmth, but also for protection from the sun. Just as importantly, ensure to wear sunglasses. The suggestion for this is not just your normal sunglasses that are used for the beach but wrap around sunglasses for bigger better protection. Still, that leaves a couple of places uncovered that researchers are concerned about.

These include under the nose and under the chin. If you wear a scarf wrapped around your face on the slopes this should not be a problem. But so many skiers do not wear enough protective clothing. It is suggested that if you’re going to wear sunscreen on the slopes that it is wiser if the SPF , sun protection factor, is thirty instead of the usually recommended fifteen.

Most people have trouble understanding that it is not how hot the day is that determines how much of the sun’s ultraviolet rays are shining on your delicate skin. On the ski slopes the peak exposure hours are from late morning to early afternoon. Don’t assume just because you are not one of the fair skinned blonds or red heads with blue eyes that you will not be at risk. Even those with olive skin or dark skin, who may think that they are safe because they do not burn, are still exposing their skin to the same ultraviolet rays. What this means is that all skiers are at risk.

Odd when you think about it, that the ski slopes pose at least as much, if not more, of a danger of skin cancer than sunbathing on those summer beaches.