Skiers are at risk of melanoma skin cancer

Most people don’t equate winter holiday season with sunburn, skin ageing and skin cancer risk but if you are heading off to the slopes for a ski holiday you should.

Research which was published in the Archives of Dermatology has shown that skiers in Vale, Colorado were exposed to up to 10x as much UV radiation as professional cyclists in the Tour de Suisse in the summertime at similar altitudes.

The reason for the increased exposure to harmful UV rays is due to the fact that the sunlight reflects off the snow. Skiers are particularly vulnerable on sunny days but even on cloudier days skiers are still at risk.

It is understood that up to 85% of UV rays are reflected off the snow. Given that the rays come from the ground as well as the sky, skiers are also vulnerable to sunburn in places they wouldn’t necessarily think of putting sunscreen or to cover up.

Skin cancer is primarily caused by cumulative exposure to the sun. Melanoma skin cancer is the most aggressive form of skin cancer.

Dermatologists agree that the best way to prevent skin cancer is by wearing UPF 50+ sun protective clothing, which is also known as sun protection or UPF clothing.

Solbari is the leading Australian sun protective UPF 50+ clothing brand with customers in over 60 countries. Solbari offers an award-winning range of sun protective clothing, broad brim sun hats, arm sleeves and umbrellas. UPF 50+ is the maximum UPF rating awarded for fabrics in Australia.

You can find out more about Solbari's certified UPF50+ sun protective range by clicking the links below:

Women UPF50+
Men UPF50+
Sun hats UPF50+
Accessories UPF50+