Wearing sunscreen

[Launchpad1]

So I've been thinking about wearing sunscreen and moisturizer when I'm flying.

Seems like spending 8+ hours above 30000ft exposes us to some UVA rays coming in from the cockpit side windows. Also the low humidity (apparently half that of the Sahara desert) ain't great.

Does anyone else wear sunscreen and or moisturizer? If so what type and how often do you reapply it?

Thanks for any responses.

[altiplano]

I use Neutrogena SPF 50 moisturizer. They have multi packs at Costco. I don't always wear it, but I try. I don't reapply, but I'm not doing long haul.

Dermatologist I saw several years back says we all should be wearing max SPF at work.

[flieslikeachicken]

Wear a long sleeve shirt and keep put the shade up if there's direct sunlight. The cockpit windows block most UV light, so you should be fine.

[ArcticAviation12]

Yes, my girlfriend convinced me but I recently saw a dermatologist and he also greatly suggested applying sunscreen why I go fly. I buy the Ultra Violette SPF50. I apply once in the morning. Better safe than sorry, skin cancer is no joke...

[altiplano]

Wear a long sleeve shirt and keep put the shade up if there's direct sunlight. The cockpit windows block most UV light, so you should be fine.

I wouldn't listen to a guy advocating for long sleeves.

Tells you everything you need to know.

"block most UV"
So you won't get a sunburn, just skin cancer.

[flieslikeachicken]

Wear a long sleeve shirt and keep put the shade up if there's direct sunlight. The cockpit windows block most UV light, so you should be fine.

I wouldn't listen to a guy advocating for long sleeves.

Tells you everything you need to know.

"block most UV"
So you won't get a sunburn, just skin cancer.

I remember what you said about COVID. Book an appointment with your aviation medical professional and get proper advice from there.

[altiplano]

My dermatologist told me. UVA isn't blocked by the windscreens, only UVB. UVAC causes cancer, UVB sunburns. And I still don't wearing long sleeves.

You're still grasping at that covid shit? Jesus, covidiots are still going to covidiot apparently.

[TeePeeCreeper]

Not sure why you’d think that. Are you sure that your actually seeing a bonafide “dermatologist”?

Mine would beg to differ…

But while we are at it the Canadian Cancer Society would also recommends it.

https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information ... and%20neck.

Maybe they are also covidiots too?!?

TPC

[CaptDukeNukem]

Wear the sunscreen. It can’t hurt more than getting cancer.

[altiplano]

Not sure why you’d think that. Are you sure that your actually seeing a bonafide “dermatologist”?

Mine would beg to differ…

But while we are at it the Canadian Cancer Society would also recommends it.

https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information ... and%20neck.

Maybe they are also covidiots too?!?

TPC

Why are you still talking about the bad joke that was covid? Move on with your life.

Maybe you should talk to your dermatologist. NIH says melanoma is observed at higher rates in flight crew. Their tests at only 30,000' revealed high exposure UVA. They say to wear sunscreen.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4476387/

The pathogenic role of UV-A in melanoma is well established. UV-A is capable of causing DNA damage in cell culture and in animal models. Pilots flying for 56.6 minutes at 30 000 feet receive the same amount of UV-A carcinogenic effective radiation as that from a 20-minute tanning bed session. These levels could be significantly higher when flying over thick cloud layers and snow fields, which could reflect up to 85% of UV radiation. Airplane windshields do not completely block UV-A radiation and therefore are not enough to protect pilots. UV-A transmission inside airplanes can play a role in pilots’ increased risk of melanoma.

We recommend further studies to establish recommendations for occupation-related UV radiation dose limits. These studies should include more precise measurement in several airplanes. We believe that better UV protection on aircraft windshields is necessary to offer cabin crew a hazard-free work environment. We strongly recommend the use of sunscreens and periodical skin checks for pilots and cabin crew.

Factor thinner atmosphere in Northern latitudes. Higher flight levels. 80 hour months, month in, month out for a career.

[flying4dollars]

I seem to fly trans cons quite regularly. I find, especially in the summer, flying west necessitates it. I haven't always used it but I'm starting to bring one with me for my face at the very least. You can sure feel it after flying in the sun for 4+ hours Mine is SPF 60 and protects against UVB+UVA

[altiplano]

Absolutely. Stalk at the sun West bound for 5 or 6 hours ages you.

I find long turns, South in the morning / North in the afternoon pretty rough too - leaves you getting blasted through the left side window all day long.

[altiplano]

Absolutely. Stalk at the sun West bound for 5 or 6 hours ages you.

I find long turns, South in the morning / North in the afternoon pretty rough too - leaves you getting blasted through the left side window all day long.

[flying4dollars]

Absolutely. Stalk at the sun West bound for 5 or 6 hours ages you.

I find long turns, South in the morning / North in the afternoon pretty rough too - leaves you getting blasted through the left side window all day long.

That's true but I find the side window shades work quite well whereas flying directly into the sun still overpowers the useless visor system, at least in the 320 ceo

[E2M]

I found SPF 100, 99% vs 98% with SPF50, so I use it. I use mineral sunscreen. (Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide)

Mineral sunscreen sits on top of the skin as a barrier, but leaves a white cast. While the chemical sunscreen is absorbed into the skin and converts UV to heat (IR), which I do not prefer. You need to make sure it blocks UVA and UVB, I am sure most i not all do.

YOU GOT TO USE SUNSCREEN!! Or you are going to have wrinkles early and risk skin and DNA damage. Apply every 2 hrs and don't forget the neck and arms

[Exactive22]

This is an interesting conversation!

I think that sunscreen will not protect you from any of the radiation you fear of being exposed to in an airplane at altitude.

Sunscreen protects only from UV which is almost completely filtered out by the cockpit windows. It does not protect from cosmic radiation, a lead jacket would .

[E2M]

This is an interesting conversation!

I think that sunscreen will not protect you from any of the radiation you fear of being exposed to in an airplane at altitude.

Sunscreen protects only from UV which is almost completely filtered out by the cockpit windows. It does not protect from cosmic radiation, a lead jacket would .

True to Cosmic rays, we get up to 100 times more than on the ground

[pelmet]

I think there was another thread on this recently. I said to use newspapers in cruise. That's what we usually did.

No midair collisions happened. TCAS is a wonderful thing, although ATC never failed.

A few went overboard but we survived.

Maybe it even stopped a cosmic ray or two. One guy in the old days wore metal foil for that. Can anyone guess his name?

[Launchpad1]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I think it's one of those things that you look back on years later and say I wish I'd done that. It's actually kind of surprising to me that the aviation doctor doesn't mention this when you have your medical.

Seems like it's a sensible thing to do when there's been studies showing UVA light does get through the side windows to an amount that is not acceptable. Using the visors helps but considering they leave big gaps that the sun can get through it seems wise to help yourself.

I found SPF 100, 99% vs 98% with SPF50, so I use it. I use mineral sunscreen. (Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide)

Mineral sunscreen sits on top of the skin as a barrier, but leaves a white cast. While the chemical sunscreen is absorbed into the skin and converts UV to heat (IR), which I do not prefer. You need to make sure it blocks UVA and UVB, I am sure most i not all do.

YOU GOT TO USE SUNSCREEN!! Or you are going to have wrinkles early and risk skin and DNA damage. Apply every 2 hrs and don't forget the neck and arms

Appreciate this a lot! Do you happen to know the brand/type you use? I've also started using mineral sunscreen, the tinted type also blocks out visible light.

[yycflyguy]

I think there was another thread on this recently. I said to use newspapers in cruise. That's what we usually did.

No midair collisions happened. TCAS is a wonderful thing, although ATC never failed.

A few went overboard but we survived.

Maybe it even stopped a cosmic ray or two. One guy in the old days wore metal foil for that. Can anyone guess his name?

Newspapers, sunshades and long sleeves will not do jack shit against high energy particles blasting apart your DNA for hours on end. Guys always talk UV exposure but never cosmic radiation. It's a reason I liked the MAX. It flew low allowing a greater layer of atmosphere above you to hopefully scatter more high energy particles and avoided the 787 because guys think flying at 41,000 for a full 12 hour flight is a badge of honour.

[pelmet]

I think there was another thread on this recently. I said to use newspapers in cruise. That's what we usually did.

No midair collisions happened. TCAS is a wonderful thing, although ATC never failed.

A few went overboard but we survived.

Maybe it even stopped a cosmic ray or two. One guy in the old days wore metal foil for that. Can anyone guess his name?

Newspapers, sunshades and long sleeves will not do jack shit against high energy particles blasting apart your DNA for hours on end. Guys always talk UV exposure but never cosmic radiation. It's a reason I liked the MAX. It flew low allowing a greater layer of atmosphere above you to hopefully scatter more high energy particles and avoided the 787 because guys think flying at 41,000 for a full 12 hour flight is a badge of honour.

You mean that foil in the cap idea didn't work when the northern lights were active? But seriously, some guys would have the windows completely covered for 12 hours and rely on TCAS and Wx radar. They never thought about some of the other hazardous possibilities over Kamchatka.

[QKZXKV]

Wear a long sleeve shirt and keep put the shade up if there's direct sunlight. The cockpit windows block most UV light, so you should be fine.

I wouldn't listen to a guy advocating for long sleeves.

Tells you everything you need to know.

"block most UV"
So you won't get a sunburn, just skin cancer.

I remember what you said about COVID. Book an appointment with your aviation medical professional and get proper advice from there.

Gonna keep reposting regardless of the level of Carney online censorship... those of you COVIDIOTS shouldn't be allowed to touch an airplane.

Our Medical (un)professionals are being exposed as we speak for hiding the fact that those shots were deemed a medical risk and that the idiotic measures didnt work.

Maybe they aren't the gods you eastern guys want them to be...

I certainly don't trust them.

[flieslikeachicken]

Gonna keep reposting regardless of the level of Carney online censorship... those of you COVIDIOTS shouldn't be allowed to touch an airplane.

Our Medical (un)professionals are being exposed as we speak for hiding the fact that those shots were deemed a medical risk and that the idiotic measures didnt work.

Maybe they aren't the gods you eastern guys want them to be...

I certainly don't trust them.

You're like the guy who thinks that he can fly a jet because he has his student pilot permit and has solo'd a few times, except your ignorance is in the medical field. Doctors train to be doctors and, generally speaking, are much better informed and able to come to conclusions regarding things in their field than the layman (that's you and me).

[CaptDukeNukem]

Gonna keep reposting regardless of the level of Carney online censorship... those of you COVIDIOTS shouldn't be allowed to touch an airplane.

Our Medical (un)professionals are being exposed as we speak for hiding the fact that those shots were deemed a medical risk and that the idiotic measures didnt work.

Maybe they aren't the gods you eastern guys want them to be...

I certainly don't trust them.

You're like the guy who thinks that he can fly a jet because he has his student pilot permit and has solo'd a few times, except your ignorance is in the medical field. Doctors train to be doctors and, generally speaking, are much better informed and able to come to conclusions regarding things in their field than the layman (that's you and me).

Not agreeing with anyone but a good read of fauci diaries released online will skew that opinion of yours quick fast.

[flieslikeachicken]

Not agreeing with anyone but a good read of fauci diaries released online will skew that opinion of yours quick fast.

Fauci did not play a part in Canada's recommendations, nor did he play a part in my doctor's recommendations.