Your Story Series: Meet Elle

What is your name?

Hi, I'm Elle!

Describe yourself in 3 to 5 words.

This is a tough one! I'm going to go with: inquisitive, imaginative and nature-lover.

What is your attitude towards sun protection today?

As a teenager and young adult, I would slip/slop/slide (I have fond memories of those adverts from my childhood!) if I was doing a specific activity outside (like going to the beach or swimming), but I was rather oblivious to all of the incidental exposure to ultraviolet rays I was receiving whilst going about my day.

In my mid-twenties, I saw my darling grandmother lose large parts of her nose to skin cancer, which made me think more carefully about how much sun exposure I was receiving. I decided to start getting regular skin checks and encouraged my family to do so too.

At my first skin check, I sensibly purchased a hat which I dutifully wore while gardening and bushwalking, but I was too embarrassed (and vain!) to wear it out in public. As a consequence, I continued to get mildly sunburnt a few times each summer as I was going about my daily activities.

Late last year, I decided enough was enough and started researching how to better protect my skin. In addition to learning how to apply sunscreen properly (I wasn't applying anywhere near enough!), I started searching for SPF50 clothing.

A close friend recommended Solbari and I was thrilled to find a protective sun hat that I'd feel comfortable wearing in public (not that it should matter, really!). I rarely leave home without my hat these days and look forward to adding a few more to my collection.

What would you tell your 16 year old self about sun protection?

Pale skin is beautiful and being sensible in the sun is essential to your long-term health and wellbeing. Trust me, if you're not sensible now, in your thirties you'll waste time worrying about the damage your younger-self inflicted on your skin. Not to mention the time you waste combatting wrinkles! Besides the wrinkles, let's hope we never have to suffer the potential consequences of your ignorance.
Don't let the fact you wear prescription glasses prevent you from wearing sunglasses - get a pair of sunglasses with prescription lenses!
If the person you're trying to impress thinks you're dorky for being sun-smart, they're not worth impressing. The person worth impressing is the one who's glad you're protecting your skin as they want you to live a long and healthy life.

Thank you Elle for helping raise awareness for skin cancer, melanoma and skin conditions, and sharing your story with us and our Solbari Community.

The Solbari Team

Also in Solbari Blog

How to pick the perfect sun hat for sun protection

This blog describes the features of a sun hat if you are looking to be protected from the sun, to prevent skin cancer, skin ageing and sunburn. The features of a sun hat which offer maximum sun protection include a UPF50+ rating, a broad brim and a neck flap. A UPF50+ broad brim sun hat is key to skin cancer prevention.

What you need to know about how UVA and UVB rays affect your skin

Many of us see the ultraviolet (UV) index on weather reports and read about UV alerts at particular times of the day. But do you know what it actually means and how it affects you?

There are two main types of UV rays and both cause damage to skin cells. Ultraviolet light is a form of radiation invisible to the human eye. Ultraviolet wavelengths of sunlight are made up of UVB, which has shorter wavelengths and higher energy, and UVA, which has longer wavelengths and lower energy.

Why you should wear sunscreen everyday

Your skin is your body’s largest organ and it needs the best protection against the harsh effects of the environment. Constant exposure to the sun’s ultra violet (UV) rays can lead to damage to your skin such as wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer. Sun damage is cumulative, which means that the damage to the skin caused by the sun’s UV rays all adds up.