To enjoy a trip to the mountains, choose a day with good weather or wait for it to arrive. With the sun you can see better the terrain where you walk, admire the view, the temperature is generally higher, which at medium-high altitudes does not bother, all factors that reduce the danger in the mountains. However, there are not only advantages, because prolonged exposure to sunlight has harmful effects on the skin. In addition to the effect of heat, the action of ultraviolet (UV) rays generates sunburn and erythema, premature onset of wrinkles and other signs of skin aging, skin cancer. It is necessary protect yourself from the sun's rays, seek the shade, slip a shirt, slap a sunscreen, wear a hat and sunglasses.
Ultraviolet (UV) rays
Solar radiation is classified according to its characteristic wavelength. In addition to visible light (perceived by the human eye), infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) rays are distinguished. UV rays are able to reach the dermis, producing an effect on the tissues and the metabolic system. Ultraviolet rays are made up of 3 categories of radiation, UVA, UVB and UVC, which are also present with overcast or cloudy skies.
UVA rays promote the release of melanin and are responsible for tanning; they do not create particular discomfort immediately but their negative effect can also manifest itself years later. UVB rays are potentially more harmful and carcinogenic than UVA; UVC rays are the most dangerous radiation but shielded from the ozone of the earth's atmosphere.
What affects UV exposure?
- Time of day: UV rays are strongest in the middle of the day, between 10 am and 4 pm.
- Season of the year: UV rays are stronger during spring and summer months. This is less of a factor near the equator.
- Distance from the equator (latitude): UV exposure goes down as you get further from the equator.
- Altitude: More UV rays reach the ground at higher elevations.
- Cloud cover: The effect of clouds can vary, but it's important to know that UV rays can get through to the ground, even on a cloudy day.
- Reflection off surfaces: UV rays can bounce off surfaces like water, sand, snow, or pavement, leading to an increase in UV exposure.
UV Index gives you an idea of how strong the UV light is in your area on any given day, on a scale from 1 to 11+. A higher number means greater risk of exposure to UV rays and a higher chance of sunburn and skin damage that could ultimately lead to skin cancer. The UV Index is part of many weather forecasts.
Along with the strength of the rays, the amount of UV exposure you get also depends on the length of time your skin is exposed, and if your skin is protected with clothing or sunscreen. People who live in areas with year-round, bright sunlight have a higher risk of skin cancer. Spending a lot of time outdoors for work or recreation without protective clothing and sunscreen increases your risk. Children need special attention. They tend to spend more time outdoors, can burn more easily, and may not be aware of the dangers.
Sun protection
Staying and seeking shade is the best way to limit UV exposure. If you are going to be in the sun, “Slip! Slop! Slap!® and Wrap” is a catchphrase that can help you remember some of the key steps you can take to protect yourself from UV rays: Slip on a shirt, Slop on sunscreen, Slap on a hat, Wrap on sunglasses.
Long-sleeved shirts, long pants cover the most skin and are the most protective. Dark colors generally provide more protection than light colors. A hat with at least a 2- to 3-inch brim all around is ideal because it protects areas that are often exposed to intense sun, such as the ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp. A cap with a visor protects the front and top of the head but not the neck or the ears, where skin cancers commonly develop. UV-blocking sunglasses are important for protecting the delicate skin around the eyes, as well as the eyes themselves. Large-framed and wraparound sunglasses are more likely to protect your eyes from light coming in from different angles.
Sunscreen is a product that you put on your skin to protect it from the sun’s UV rays. But it’s important to know that sunscreen is just a filter – it does not block all UV rays. Sunscreen should not be used as a way to prolong your time in the sun. Even with proper sunscreen use, some UV rays still get through. Sunscreens are available in many forms – lotions, creams, ointments, gels, sprays, wipes, and lip balms, to name a few. When choosing a sunscreen, be sure to read the label, without neglecting the deadline.
Sun protection factor (SPF): the SPF number is the level of protection the sunscreen provides against UVB rays, which are the main cause of sunburn. A higher SPF number means more UVB protection (although it says nothing about UVA protection). For example, when applying an SPF 30 sunscreen correctly, you get the equivalent of 1 minute of UVB rays for each 30 minutes you spend in the sun. Other properties of a sunscreen are water resistance, broad spectrum (reduces both UVA and UVB rays).
My experience
In my long activity of hiking in the mountains I am very careful to protect myself from the sun. I have rarely burned myself, and only on the exposed skin of one shirt that is shorter than another. I expose the skin to the sun gradually, especially when I bare my shoulders with a sleeveless tank top. In case of redness, in the evening I apply a soothing after-sun cream that moisturizes the skin. I don't like standing still in the sun and I try to avoid it as much as possible even when I walk, avoiding the hours when the sun is high on the horizon. It is not only the UVA and UVB rays that bother me but also the increased temperature. Furthermore, the sun, in addition to being harmful to the skin, is the enemy of the venous insufficiency in the legs that I suffer from.
My first trick is to spread the sunscreen well on the exposed skin, without forgetting my ears and nose. Out of habit, I buy a Nivea, Protect & Hydrate sun milk, with a blue or light blue jar, my favorite color, and a yellow cap. I choose a sunscreen with a protection factor that is probably too low, 6, or one with FSP 15 when I go to high altitudes, both in summer and in winter. I spread the cream on my legs even when I'm wearing long pants, rightly so, because clothes don't provide total protection. The thighs are a delicate point for me, with high temperatures I suffer from allergy with ugly red spots, probably a form of erythema.
I love to go up in summer from Pasturo to Alpe Cova to find a lower and more pleasant temperature, to be in the midst of nature and because the trail, the old via 33 of the CAI, is in the woods, shaded. Beyond the 1300 meters of the locality, the trees thin out, above the Pialeral there is no shelter from the sun and you can only hope for the low clouds that often hide the Northern Grigna. On the bench of the Brioschi Refuge, after the long climb it is enchanting to admire the panorama of the villages of Valsassina, Pasturo, Barzio, Cremeno, Moggio, and the Orobie mountains, on the right the Grignetta, with the water of the lake. After having repeated the operation of spreading the sunscreen on the skin, which is not missing in my backpack, with a white hat on my head and wrapped in dark glasses, I do not cover myself with a long-sleeved shirt and a blue towel on bare legs for the temperature too cool but to protect me from solar radiation, which at 2400 meters during the central hours of the day is exaggerated. I notice that I am surrounded by hikers who do not do the same, exposing their skin to the sun with negative consequences on their health.
References
- "How Do I Protect Myself from Ultraviolet (UV) Rays?". American Cancer Society. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
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