will I damage my eyes if I don’t wear sunglasses?

TheConversation: The iconic “Slip Slop Slap” campaign was launched in Australia in 1981. Sid the Seagull encouraged people to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat to minimise ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure and reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer. In 2007, the slogan was updated to “Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide”. So now it includes seeking shade and sliding on sunglasses to further reduce the risk of UV-related damage. This emphasises the importance of protecting eyes – and the skin around them – from UV radiation.

Action spectrum of sun skin damage documented

Newcastle: Scientists document for the first time the DNA damage which can occur to skin across the full range of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. As pharmacists warn that the public is confused by sunscreen labelling, scientists at Newcastle University have detailed the DNA damage which can occur to skin across the full range of ultraviolet radiation providing an invaluable tool for sun-protection and the manufacturers of sunscreen. Testing on human skin cell lines, this study published today in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, documents the action spectrum of ultraviolet damage in cells derived from both the upper layer (dermis) and lower layer (epidermis) of the skin.

Quarter of sun-exposed skin samples had DNA mutations

NHS: A sobering BBC News headline greets sun worshippers on the eve of the spring bank holiday: "More than a quarter of a middle-aged person's skin may have already made the first steps towards cancer." Sunlight is made up of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Low levels of exposure to UV light are actually beneficial to health – sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D. But prolonged exposure can change (mutate) the DNA in the cells. Over time the mutations accumulate, turning the skin cells cancerous, which can lead to either non-melanoma or melanoma skin cancer.

Sunlight continues to damage skin in the dark

Yale University. US: Much of the damage that ultraviolet radiation (UV) does to skin occurs hours after sun exposure, a team of Yale-led researchers concluded in a study that was published online Feb. 19 by the journal Science. Exposure to UV light from the sun or from tanning beds can damage the DNA in melanocytes, the cells that make the melanin that gives skin its color.

Sunlight UV damage to skin persists even after dark

NHS. UK: “Moving immediately into the shade does not stop sun damage, as UV rays can continue damaging skin cells hours after exposure,” The Guardian reports. Ultraviolet (UV) light is known to cause damage to DNA in skin cells, which increases the risk of the most serious type of skin cancer: melanoma.

Sun damage and cancer: how UV radiation affects our skin

Queensland University. Australia: Around 30 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma every day and more than 1,200 die from the disease each year. While small amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation are required for the production of vitamin D to keep bones and muscles strong and healthy, skin can burn from just 15 minutes of exposure to the summer sun.