Sun Protected Summer; Melanoma Free Life

Australian summer is incredibly brutal when it comes to sun burn, peeling skin and melanoma, because most Australians don’t know when they need sun protection or what constitutes the level of sun protection they need.

According to Cancer Council Australia, nine in 10 Australians don’t know when they need sun protection. That’s the equivalent to a family with 9 cats and 1 dog, or a box of ice-creams with 9 strawberry and 1 vanilla. Moral of the story is, that’s a lot of cats, a lot of strawberry ice-creams and a lot of Australians who don’t understand when sun protection is needed.

Cancer Council CEO Chris McMillan says that Queensland has the highest rate of melanoma in the world due to frequent over-exposure to UV radiation, which is the primary cause of sun burns and skin cancer.

“Sun protection is required when UV levels reach three and above, and in Queensland this means sun protection is necessary all year round due to consistently high UV levels,” Ms McMillan said.

The UV Index ranges from 0 to approximately 17, which is an extreme UV rating. Brisbane’s average UV rating ranges between 12 and 14 for the majority of the year and peaks in the middle of the day, according to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.

Brisbane’s UV radiation is moderate in winter too – the average winter UV rating ranges from 4-6 according to the Bureau of Meteorology. It can also be extreme on cloudy days, because UV radiation can penetrate cloud cover, unlike sun light. Sun protection without the hassle of applying sunscreen could be in the form of sunglasses with a UV rating over 3, and a daily facial moisturiser and lip balm with SPF included.

In the same way you check the weather online you can check UV intensity on the UV Index. This is included on good weather channels, such as BoM.

According to Ms McMillan, approximately 3, 960 Queenslanders are diagnosed with melanoma each year, so let’s keep up the sun protection to enjoy this summer, and many summers to come, cancer free.