Sitting by the window on an airplane can cause serious damage to your skin?

Friends who have taken a flight know that the window seats have a good view, so they choose to sit by the window. But today, I want to tell you from the perspective of dermatology that next time you choose a seat, you can consider choosing a seat closer to the inside. Why is that?

We all know that sun protection is important, and I strongly encourage everyone to do physical sun protection, such as wearing sun-protective clothing, holding an umbrella and wearing a hat. One thing you may have overlooked is that sun protection is also very important when flying. According to calculations, the intensity of sunlight increases by nearly 10% for every 1,000 feet (about 305 meters) increase in altitude. In other words, as the altitude increases, the intensity of sunlight increases significantly, and of course the damage to human skin increases accordingly.

On the one hand, the UV rays will be stronger with the increase of altitude, and more importantly, without the protection of clouds, the UV rays will irradiate our skin without any obstruction. The flight altitude of the aircraft is generally between 6,000 meters and 9,600 meters. The UV rays at this altitude are much stronger than those on the ground, and the potential damage can be imagined.

Speaking of this, although everyone is exposed to ultraviolet rays every day, you may not know that there are also many mysteries in ultraviolet rays. First, let us understand ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet rays are divided into three bands, namely the UVA (long-wave ultraviolet rays), UVB (medium-wave ultraviolet rays), and UVC (short-wave ultraviolet rays) that we are familiar with in daily life.

Among them, although UVA (320~400nm) has strong radiation, its ability to cause erythema is very weak (it plays a major role in drug-induced photosensitization), but it can cause skin aging, and UVB (280~320nm) can cause sunburn and darkening of the skin. UVA and UVB are actually the main culprits of sunburn. UVC (100~280nm) basically cannot reach the earth.

The picture comes from Tuchong.com

The sun shining in through the airplane windows can cause "serious damage to the skin by ultraviolet rays". Many friends say, it's okay, we still have windows, the glass is thick enough so there should be no problem. In fact, the window glass can usually block 99% of short-wavelength ultraviolet rays (UVB), but can only block about 50% of long-wave ultraviolet rays (UVA). The sun shining in through the airplane windows can cause serious damage to the skin by UVA. UVA can destroy the collagen in the skin and is the culprit for wrinkles and sagging skin. This is also what girls worry about the most. So it is also very important to pay attention to sun protection when flying.

At this point, are our frequent travelers, as well as pilots and stewardesses who take off frequently, afraid that their skin will deteriorate? First of all, this worry is necessary. A lot of sun damage occurs gradually. That is to say, long-term exposure to sunlight will cause aging spots on the skin. Therefore, if you fly frequently, you can consider using some sun protection methods, including sunscreen. If you are a frequent flyer, it is recommended that you give priority to the middle area. If you are by the window, you can pull down the shade curtain. When taking off and landing, there is no way to cover it with newspapers or clothes.

Long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays may also induce other skin problems and even skin cancer. Speaking of skin cancer, everyone may start to worry, but I want to make it clear that the risk is very small, because skin tumors involve too many factors, genetic factors and daily habits may have an impact on the skin... Cumulative sun exposure, indoor tanning, history of sunburn, genetic factors and family history are known risk factors.

Finally, there is one point that cannot be ignored. The air circulation in the cabin will cause the skin to be dry and dehydrated, and the cabin pressurization will cause the skin to swell. Therefore, people who often fly should pay attention to skin moisturizing. In fact, moisturizing is also very simple. Don't bathe too much, and use some moisturizing cream appropriately.

This article is a work supported by Science Popularization China Starry Sky Project

Author: Zhou Yu

Reviewer: Cheng Fang (Chief Physician of Dermatology Department, Xingtai People's Hospital, Hebei Province)

Produced by: China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Producer: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.