Did you know UV exposure from the sun damages our skin and can lead to skin cancer? Melanoma is the most common cancer affecting young Australians aged 15-24. Two in three Aussie kids at school today will be diagnosed with skin cancer later in life – some of them with deadly melanomas. The good news is that skin cancer is highly preventable.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun is the primary cause of skin cancer: it is estimated that up to 95% of melanomas and 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) in Australia are caused by overexposure to UVR. Teaching children from an early age about how to protect their skin from the sun and UV radiation can reduce their risk of developing skin cancers later in life.

UV radiation and UV index

Understanding the UV index, and checking it daily, lets you know when to protect your skin from the sun’s UV radiation.

UV levels are high enough (UV 3 or above) to damage unprotected skin most months of the year and can be present even on cool and cloudy days. This means that sun protection might be needed even when the sun isn’t visible.

The UV index is a scale from 1 (low) to 11+ (extreme), is updated throughout the day and usually peaks between 11am and 3pm during daylight savings. In summer, the UV index is often sitting at extreme levels, meaning it’s 11 and above.

Checking the UV index daily and when it’s 3 or above, remember to protect yourself and help students to protect their skin by wearing a broadbrimmed hat, wearing sun protective clothing that covers as much of the skin as possible, and sunscreen on exposed skin, wearing sunglasses and finding shade whenever possible when outside.