The use of Sunscreen

As a pilot, you always have sunglasses with you and you wear them as soon as you see the first sun rays coming through the clouds. It’s critical to protect your eyes, a small part of your body but so important. This is so commonly known by all pilots. Something not everyone knows is that your skin also gets a lot of UV radiations. You could read a bit more about this in one of my earlier blogs about the importance of using sunscreen (click here)

As we fly, we pick up radiation anyway but did you know ta UV-A waves also go through the protection of the windows of the plane? for that reason, it is very important that you have an additional barrier against the sun. Most of the sunscreens now are so-called chemical sunscreens  – depending on the sunscreen – they block UV-A and/or UV-B and some other wavelenght. I started using Eucerin products SPF 50+ to protect myself. Their Sunscreen technology protects against UV-A, UV-B and HEV-Light (High-Energy Visible Light). With this, I have a lesser chance of getting skin cancer. Honestly, I find this more important than getting a suntan! What other effects has the sun on you? Sure the sun provides you with vitamin D, which is healthy but you shouldn’t get too much of it. Indeed, too much Sun can accelerate the aging effect on your skin and give wrinkles. In the worst case, it causes skin cancer. Why would anyone risk this?

I found this video showing the effects of UV radiation on your skin. No this is no sorcery this is just sunscreen doing its thing. I would strongly advice to just check out the video below.

So even when the sky is covered with clouds it is still a good idea to apply Sun Protection, but you could apply one with a lower SPF . I personally use SPF30 and SPF 50+ from Eucerin, mostly because you don’t feel it on your skin. It is sold in pharmacies all over the world, so easy to be resupplied wherever you are on the planet. Let me explain what this number means. SPF is the protection factor. Let’s use SPF50+ as an example. It means it will just allow 1/50 part of the sun rays to go through. The lower the SPF number the more UV-rays will reach you and penetrate your skin.
CLICK HERE if you want to see what is the best protection for you.

 

Comments

  1. Maryanne S.Ezekiel

    I was quite young flying British C. Airways but it was gun for holidays svroac & for sn sfvrnture. I flew ggst nsny time until l had to use Nigerian airways which was a delayed flight. It wasn’t o.k for me. We first had to go through Abuja to pick up some persenger before leaving for London, despite that, the pilot was good becsusemge noticed the lugages were loaded too much on one side of the plane do he decided we stay behind for rearrangements.The luggages were all brought down and rearranged so that the weight is balanced. That was more than an hour doing thsg & l was placed off. 2nd experience was at Heathrow airport. There were to many passengers & interconnecting flights & somehow we couldn’t board snother Airbus. We were logged in an hotel near by. I enjoyed that because of the stress & the fact that l was bored. We took off the following morning. Ayway, my other experiences was quite nice & enjoyable. My british boss owns a,privste airbus thst he uses when in Nigeria. It’s packed st the Nigerian aviation authority axis. It’s wuite expensive to pack an air bus diwn here because you psy so much in dollars but my boss was a rich one. We sell industrial generators transformers, etc. They own their company since 1901 They are the manufacturers of road signs & flood lights. I got to fly around with him & sometimes the wife.Thst’s how l felkbin love with air buses. Besides am involved with the government & important personals. Due yo my hard work & loyalty, l became a director with the (by age 30) but was already a manager even younger than 30 They handed over practically everything to me. Something sad happened along the way, their Airbus caught fire at the Australian airport as they approached the runway. It was not their fault because the runway was bad & were nitbinformed in good time. I followed the story later on. This really got me pisted off of pilots & air buses. Coupled with sonething that happened to my younger sister whose dream of being a female pilot was shattered. A.m. tired & gig to get some sleep now. I have crusade 2mrw morning by 8am & have to drive down s long distance. That’s my story.

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