UV radiation - an often underestimated risk
UV radiation is a component of sunlight and not visible to humans. Excessive and/or too frequent UV radiation represents a risk to everyone - irrespective of the skin type, age, gender and life circumstances. Anyone who exposes their skin to solar radiation for too long risks not only painful sunburns, but also dangerous skin diseases in the long-term.
When suitable materials and designs are used, textiles provide good protection from intense radiation. The International Testing Association for Applied UV Protection recommends considering products labelled with UV STANDARD 801 for all types of clothing and shading textiles. The test label for the UV STANDARD 801 tells you at a glance: these textiles offer the best possible and most reliable UV protection.
Particular care should be taken with:
- sensitive skin of children, older people and people who are ill
- extended periods outside, during sport and leisure activities
- persons who work outside
Sunscreen alone often does not provide adequate sun protection!
Many people believe that sunscreen provides them with completely adequate UV protection. But be careful! The UV protection factors indicated on the packaging of the sunscreen are based on fixed defined specifications for use. The sunscreen must be applied at least half an hour before sunbathing and must be reapplied several times during the day, even when using waterproof products.
The quantity applied must also be sufficient: e.g. a teaspoon of sunscreen is recommended for the face alone. So, if applied in accordance with the specifications, a 150 ml bottle of sunscreen is only sufficient for five full-body applications!
In contrast, UV protective textiles are clearly more effective than cosmetic sunscreens.
Sun protection measures
- avoid direct sunlight
- look for shady places
- use sunscreen with a high sun protection factor
- wear special UV protective clothing
Calculating the sun protection duration correctly
Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF)
The UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) specified on the UV protective clothing shows how much longer a person can stay in the sun wearing this clothing without suffering damage to their health. The basis is the intrinsic protection time, which varies greatly according to the individual skin type.
The skin of a person with skin type I with red or blonde hair, blue eyes and a light tone, has an intrinsic protection time of around five to ten minutes. Staying in the blazing sun any longer without protection risks dangerous sunburn.
If this person wears an item of clothing with UPF 80, they can stay in the sun 80 times longer than without this textile. Thus the maximum duration of a person with skin type I would extend from five to ten minutes to 400-800 minutes. An extended stay outdoors is thus no longer a problem even for fair and sensitive skin types.
Bring on the sun
- determine the skin type
- bear in mind the planned time in the sun
- select sufficient textile UV protection
- schedule a time buffer
- use sunscreen with a high sun protection factor for parts of the body that are not covered
- do not forget a hat and suitable sunglasses