City of Lynn

UV Safety Month

July is UV Safety Month, serving as a reminder to protect yourself when you're outside. 

UV (ultraviolet) radiation is a form of energy that is invisible to the eye

• Most common form of UV radiation is sunlight which produces 3 main types of UV rays:
  • UVA, UVB, UVC
  • UVA rays have the longest wavelength
    • Most UV rays we come in contact with is UVA, and small amount UVB
      

UV Index is a rating scale (numbers 1-11)

• Indicates amount of skin-damaging UV rays reaching the Earth’s surface during the day

• UV can damage skin and eyes
  • Sunburn: Sign of short-term overexposure
  • Premature aging and skin cancer: Side effects of prolonged UV exposure 
    • Most serious form of skin cancer is melanoma
      • Uncontrolled growth of pigment-producing cells, can appear 
        without warning, and can develop within and existing mole 
    • Eyes: Overexposure increases your risk for eye diseases such as cataracts 
      (cloudiness in the eyes) or eye cancer
• Other sources of UV radiation
  • Tanning booths
  • Mercury vapor lighting
  • Some halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent lights
  • Some types of lasers
    

How can you protect yourself?

• Sunscreen
  • Use broad spectrum sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or higher
    • Helps protect from both UVA and UVB rays 
    • Helps reduce the risk of skin cancer and early aging
    • Apply every 2 hours and/or after swimming, sweating or toweling off
  • Seek Shade
    • Stay in the shade under an umbrella, tree, or another form of shelter
    • Reduces risk of of sun damage and skin cancer
  • Clothing
    • When possible, wear long-sleeved t-shirts or long pants to protect from UV rays
      • Alternatively, wear a t-shirt or beach cover-up
    • Clothes made with tightly woven fabric offer best protection 
    • Darker color clothing may offer more protection than lighter colors
    • Wear hats with a brim that shade face, ear, and back of your neck
      • Avoid straw hats with holes that allow sun through
  • Sunglasses
    • Helps protects eyes and tender skin around eyes 
    • Use sunglasses that provide 100% UV or UV400 protection or block both UVA and UVB rays 
    • Wrap-around sunglasses work best
      

Resources

https://www.cdc.gov/skin-cancer/sun-safety/
https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/tanning/ultraviolet-uv-radiation
https://www.epa.gov/radtown/ultraviolet-uv-radiation-and-sun-exposure
https://www.epa.gov/enviro/uv-index-description