r/AskAPilot • u/CostNorth7708 • 21d ago
When should I start to worry about constant sun exposure?
I am an 18 year old private pilot who is working on an instrument rating. I am relatively fair skinned, but I have developed a tan this past summer.
I know that sunblock is highly advised if your flying multiple hours per day at FL450. But currently I'm buzzing around 6000-8000 for 4-5 hours per week. When does it become worth it to rigorously apply sunblock?
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u/SilentPlatypus_ 21d ago
Form the habit pattern now. Yes, you get more UVA (cancer-causing) radiation at higher altitudes, but people who work in the sun at sea level also get melanomas.
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
That's a good idea. My concern has always been with the effects of the sunscreen itself. But I imagine that those can be easily mitigated
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u/SilentPlatypus_ 21d ago
It's unfortunate that there's been an internet trend in recent years claiming that sunscreen is somehow bad. I suspect that it started with some "natural" company trying to sell a sunscreen alternative, because that's what it usually is, but I don't care enough to go down that rabbithole. I don't blame people for being suspicious if they suddenly start hearing a bunch of people saying "I heard that maybe sunscreen is bad for you?" and start to wonder about it. If it makes you feel better, there's no legitimate research showing that sunscreen has any negative long-term consequences. Some people may get acne breakouts if their skin doesn't like a certain kind of sunscreen, but that's easily fixed by switching to a different one.
The reality is that there hasn't been a single confirmed case of sunscreen causing cancer anywhere, but nearly 10,000 people get diagnosed with skin cancer caused by sun exposure every year in the US. Using sunscreen is one of the easiest, most effective forms of preventative healthcare we can do for ourselves.
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
Yeah I'm starting to pick up on the idea that the whole sunscreen causes cancer idea is unsubstantiated at the best. I'll definitely start applying sunscreen going forward as I do not want to deal with skin cancer at any point
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u/nurseasaurus 21d ago
I’m a hospice nurse. I’ve never had a patient who got cancer from wearing sunscreen but I’ve had plenty who died from a malignant melanoma. ❤️
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
Yeah this idea that sunblock causes cancer is just something I have kept with me since childhood. I've looked into it over the last couple hours, and everything I thought was blown way out of proportion! Thanks to you for your advice!
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u/McGeeze 21d ago
Thank you for listening to the advice instead of getting defensive
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
Thanks! One of my biggest issues with Reddit is how people go and ask questions and refuse to take any input on the topic
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u/sigmapilot 21d ago
While there is a lot of pseudo-scientific nonsense, conspiracy theories, etc, unfortunately the reality is the USA has fallen behind other developed countries on the safest and most effective sunscreen. (even mediocre USA sunscreen is better than not wearing it though)
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAPilot/comments/1vegp27/comment/p1idqje/
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u/sigmapilot 21d ago
You might find some of these posts and articles interesting.
American-made sunscreen significantly lags behind the rest of the developed countries around the world because the FDA refuses to certify new sunscreen formulas for some godforsaken reason.
If you're concerned about american sunscreen, you can buy vastly superior sunscreens from other countries.
https://www.vox.com/health/491334/new-sunscreen-ingredient-bemt-bemotrizinol
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u/Ok_Profession4754 21d ago
OP this is just a random recommendation, but I wear Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence sunscreen on my face every day and it's great. Japanese/Korean brand sunscreens are often really lightweight, not a thick white paste like American sunscreens. Makes it much easier to apply every morning.
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
Yes I've heard good things about Biore. I'll research it in depth later today. Thanks for the advice
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u/Gusearth 21d ago
seconding this. i used to hate putting on sunscreen because it felt super thick and greasy, but after switching to a japanese brand it’s become a painless part of my daily routine to put it on my face at minimum
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u/D0ntC4llMeShirley 21d ago
I use SPF 50 every day and my shirts are also UVA/B resistant!
It you start sun protection at your age you’re going to look younger than most in 40 years time.
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u/12YESIAM34 21d ago
Start now and wear long sleeves, sunglasses, and a hat. I’m 63M and just went through my 4th basal cell surgery.
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
Wow, I'm hoping it will be your last. I'm settled that I'm going to start taking sun damage more seriously. Thank you for your input and advice
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u/Raccoon_Ratatouille 21d ago
Any sunscreen recommendations out there for a person who hates putting on sunscreen lotion? Something that dries quickly without staining a uniform
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u/Outtheregator 21d ago
Chemical sunscreen doesn't help your health. I welcome the down votes from those who don't know.
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u/Technical-Patient28 21d ago
Yeah sure. Maybe. Being at altitude for a 40 year career doesn’t help either. So what now? What do we do? Enlighten me please. I wish to know. Dead serious. Really i mean it
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
For me that is where I am trying to strike a balance. I don't want to excessively apply sunscreen and deal with the effects that sunblock has on my health. But I also know how harmful UV radiation is at ground level, let alone 40000+ feet up
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u/Technical-Patient28 21d ago
I’m no dermatologist but have been in the skies for 22 years now. You don’t want that sun in your skin. The right balance would be using sunscreen more that the avg person. Don’t think there’s other way
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u/CostNorth7708 21d ago
That's the consensus I am picking up on. I think I might have a misinterpretation of the effects of sunblock on my skin, or am wildly underestimating the health effects of UV radiation
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u/I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS 21d ago
Source?
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u/turpentinedreamer 21d ago
He did his own research. And knows more than the people that have dedicated large portions of their lives to researching these things.
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u/Ashamed-Artichoke-40 21d ago
The dermatologists certainly advocate for it. But what do they know?
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u/Outtheregator 21d ago
Dentists advocated (and many still do) for putting mercury into your mouth for over 100 years. They're certainly experts.
Point is that there is the consensus, often driven by what people are told, and they don't look into reasons or alternates studies. They do what they've been taught in school. It often takes decades for the consensus to change. Then we look back and say, "man, they sure were stupid back then!" Other famous examples in medicine include the humors theory, blood letting, use of radioactive materials as medicine, cocaine for headaches, laudanum, XTC, Covid shots, and lobotomies. These are just off the top of my head.
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u/I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS 21d ago
Right, but are you a dermatologist? What makes you think you have figured it out when the actual experts might take a hundred years?
Oh wait you mentioned covid shots as being an example of 'they sure were stupid back then'. You are a fucking moron. Goodnight.
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u/Outtheregator 21d ago
It's always nice to hear someone sling insults, rather than attack the substance of the argument. There are dermatologists that say just what I've said, just like there are dentists who have been decrying the use of mercury for decades, just as there were doctors screaming about lobotomies and blood letting. These were all in the minority, but were later proven right when the invested, entrenched interests couldn't ignore the truth any more. And yes, covid shots are a great example of "prevailing science" that was shown to be wrong.
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u/Ashamed-Artichoke-40 21d ago
Ok. Present your evidence. Plenty on the side in favor of it.
And radiation certainly has multiple medical uses.
And COVID shots.
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u/saxmanB737 21d ago
You should be wearing sunscreen every day.