Risk of Overexposure

The JCTA believes that the risks related to UV overexposure have been mischaracterized – oftentimes conspicuously mis-labelled as risks associated simply with regular UV exposure.

There is a large difference: No research has ever isolated regular, non-burning exposure to sunlight or indoor tanning as a significant risk factor for any skin disorder. Instead, research has suggested that repeated sunburn and overexposure – especially in people who are genetically predisposed to skin damage – may be a risk factor for permanent skin damage.

This is an important distinction. Saying that any UV exposure is damaging, and therefore people should avoid sunlight, is like saying that water causes drowning, and therefore people should avoid water. It is an incorrect, and damaging, way to describe the potential association.

Professor Sam Shuster, an Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Honorary Consultant to the Department of Dermatology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, wrote the attached article.

THE SKIN CANCER COVER-UP! Please view the Shuster PDF.