Check the UV!

I feel like I could spend all day rebutting social media skin care suggestions and trends.  This one is just too terrible to not comment.  “Checking the UV” to get the best tan is a new TikTok trend.  First some basics…

The UV Index is a standard measure that grades the intensity of UV rays in your location.  It is calcutated using a computer model by the National Weather Service.  It can easily be obtained on most weather apps.  Growing up, I was often told that the sun was the most intense between 10am and 2pm.  While this is still a great simplification, sometimes the UV Index doesn’t drop until much lower in the day, so checking your weather resource is helpful.

So, what’s the goal with the UV Index?  The goal is to help us avoid the times of day when the sun is the most intense and most damaging.  Unfortunately, some influential social media stars are doing just the opposite, looking for the time when the UV is the most intense to improve their tan. Ugh!

How is the UV Index scored?  It is a numeric rating of 0-11+.   Below is a table from the EPA ( https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/uv-index-scale-0) .  Generally sun protection is recommended over 3, but especially over 5.  Remember you can get sun burned even on a cloudy day.  While daily sunscreen is recommended for the face, extra coverage and protection are recommended as the UV Index rises. It is calculated by Zip Code and should be available for any area by a quick check on any weather site or app.

Honestly, I think that common sense should have us avoiding this topic all together.  But, sometimes there needs to be an educated voice of reason countering social media influencers.  As with many things on social media, our teens health and wellness is at stake.  

If you have a teen, encourage them to get their skin care advice from legitimate sites.  If not ours, the American Academy of Dermatology, Skin Cancer Foundation, National Rosacea Sociery and National Psoriasis Foundation are just a few with great resources on lots of topics.  In general, I recommend avoiding sites and “resources” that are sponsored by a skin care company including many social media influencers.  They tend to be more biased toward their own products and points of view.  

So lets “Check the UV” for the right reasons and protect our skin from damaging UV rays.  Your skin will thank you!

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