When I was young I always protected my face from the sun, but for my body it was open season. All my friends sported a dark tan and even though I'm skin type II on the Fitzpatrick scale (that is, pasty white) I convinced myself I could achieve a bronze hue.
Fast forward to age 35 and I had my first basal cell carcinoma, on my shoulder, right where I remember peeling off great sheets of burnt skin as a teenager. When I had that removed, the surgeon told me that since I had had one basal cell carcinoma at that age, I was almost guaranteed to have more – and he was right. I've since had two more removed, from the other shoulder and my clavicle.
As well as sunscreen, a new UV patch has been developed to measure your exposure to the sun.
So, not surprisingly, I'm now something of a zealot for sun protection. The stats for skin cancer in Australia are the highest in the world and the deadliest form, melanoma, is projected to be the top five most common cancers in Australia this year.
More than 1200 Australians die every year from melanoma; this is more than the number of deaths caused by car accidents annually. So anything that makes people more aware of sun exposure is a good thing, like a new patch you wear on your skin that tells you how much UV you've been exposed to.
The patch, developed by La Roche-Posay, is like a turkey timer but way more sophisticated.
How does it work?
The La Roche-Posay My UV Patch works in conjunction with a smartphone app, which gives UV skin readings and sun-safe tips.
The patch uses UV-sensitive dyes that change colour when exposed to UV radiation. This colour change is calculated by the app and a personal UV dose is then calculated. The app takes into account your skin UV sensitivity and provides personal UV protection recommendations to encourage sun safe behaviour. Love it.
Global vice president of L'Oréal's Technology Incubator Guive Balooch and his research team spent several years developing this wearable UV technology, and he believes making people aware of their exposure will hopefully change their sun habits. Balooch says, "Educate yourself about the level of exposure and how quickly exposure can put you at risk." The UV patches last up to five days and you can swim, shower and sweat in them – and of course apply sunscreen to them.
My UV Patch is free from participating dermatologists and with the purchase of Anthelios XL Ultra Light SPF50+ Spray, $35.95.
Burning question
Once you have reached critical mass with your UV exposure for the day with your SPF50+ sunscreen, do you need to go inside?
"Yes, once you have reached a high enough dose – even with sunscreen, it is recommended that you go indoors or under full shade. This is because even a 50+ sunscreen can allow tiny amounts of UV radiation to pass through the skin. And a whole day of tiny amounts can accumulate," La Roche-Posay spokeswoman Rachel McAdam said.
The Skin & Cancer Foundation in Melbourne hopes the patch will raise awareness about UV damage on overcast days.
"One of the most worrying insights from the SHARC Report [2015 Skin Health Australia Report Card, published by the Skin & Cancer Foundation] is that people still don't understand UV and there is a belief that the risk of skin cancer is confined to only hot sunny, summer days," a spokesman said.
"They fail to appreciate the significant UV threat at other times, even when it is cloudy. People need to use sun protection whenever the UV Index is above 3. This UV patch is a great way to raise consciousness of UV – even on cloudy days."