Five common sunburn myths

Despite decades of public health campaigns, skin cancer remains a major threat to health in Australia, with more cases diagnosed each year than all other cancers combined.

As we’re in the middle of summer, it seems a good time to debunk some of these.

Myth 1: ‘You can’t get burnt in the shade’

Effective shade can provide protection from the sun’s UV rays, but we can still get burnt in the shade. Shade materials with holes or gaps can allow penetration by UV radiation.

Myth 2: ‘You’re safe from the sun when in water‘

Up to 40 per cent of total UV radiation hits the body even half a metre below the surface of the water, according to SunSmart. Ordinarily, you would have to dive at least 2.5m inshore and 4.5m in offshore coastal waters to avoid harmful UV radiation. 

Myth 3: ‘Exercise makes my skin red hot, not the sun’

You might often hear people say, when they return from exercise, that they’re red only because they’ve been running. While this does occur, redness from exercise usually dissipates quickly — so if you’re still red in the 24 hours after exercise, it’s sunburn.

Myth 4: ‘That’s not sunburn, it’s windburn’

Windburn can make your skin red, but in Australia, windburn is pretty rare. It’s more likely to occur in instances like skiing, by very windy, cold and dry conditions, with dense mountain clouds and minimal or no sunlight. In Australia, it’s much more likely to be sunburn.

Myth 5: ‘You can’t get burnt in the car through a window’

Often, glass used in car side windows is untinted. It reduces UV radiation but doesn’t completely block transmission. This means you can still get skin damage if you spend a long time in the car next to an untinted side window.