Why spring sun is so treacherous

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Winter pale skin reacts particularly quickly with sunburn. But that's not the only reason why skin protection is so important, especially in spring.

After winter, the hunger for sun is particularly great. Since the air is not that hot yet, it never occurs to many people that they could get burned. Because humans do not have a sensory organ that warns them of high UV radiation.

15 minutes in the sun is often too long

But even if you stick your nose in the sun for just 15 minutes, you risk sunburn, depending on your skin type. If the skin turns red, itches or hurts, it has already received too much UV radiation.

One reason why so many people get sunburned, especially in the spring, that the skin, wrapped up in thick clothes, is weaned from the sun over the winter. Only gradually does it then form a pigment protection again in spring and thicken slightly, which also prevents radiation.

Mini ozone holes from the Arctic

In addition, there is often an unexpectedly concentrated UV charge: In March and April, the natural ozone layer over the Arctic, which shields a large part of the UV radiation, is often thinner than usual. Meteorologists call the phenomenon “low ozone events”. If polar air then penetrates to us, “mini ozone holes” can arise for a short time. Sometimes the UV radiation values then climb to heights, as we know them from summer in particular.

Not all genetic damage is repaired

“With unprotected skin, UV radiation leads to damage in the genetic material of skin cells within seconds. Thanks to a sophisticated repair system, the body can repair this damage itself to a certain extent, ”explains Professor Eckhard Breitbart, dermatologist and chairman of the Dermatological Prevention Association.

"However, there is always the risk that damaged cells will remain permanently in the skin and that skin cancer can develop from it even decades later."

Get used to the sun again slowly

You can protect yourself against this with simple measures: "In spring, we recommend that you get your skin used to the sun by spending short periods outdoors," says Breitbart. In general:

Avoid the blazing midday sun.
Protect exposed skin with sunscreen.
Wear appropriate clothing and a hat.
Shield your eyes with UV-safe sunglasses.

Call up radiation protection index online

To estimate the intensity of the sun, it helps to take a look at the UV index (UVI) at the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). It describes the expected value of sunburn-promoting UV radiation on a scale from 1 to 11+, to which recommendations for sun protection are assigned (available at: www.bfs.de/uv-index.

In Germany, around 276,000 people are newly diagnosed with a skin tumor every year, more than 40,000 of them with malignant melanoma (black skin cancer).

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