According to a study, the shade of beach umbrellas alone cannot provide sufficient protection from the sun.

Any beach resident can attest that umbrellas offer a cool respite from the scorching summer sun. But most importantly, they can help protect our skin from skin-damaging UV rays…right? The answer to this question is complex. Finding shade under a beach umbrella does provide some protection from the sun, but recent research has shown that umbrella alone is not enough.

Researchers conducted a study recently published in the journal JAMA Dermatology to find out how well a regular beach umbrella shade protected against sunburn, as well as comparing it to the protection provided by high SPF sunscreen. The study involved 100 participants from Lake Lewisville, Texas, who were randomly assigned to two groups: one group used only a beach umbrella, and the other group used only sunscreen with SPF 3.5. All participants stayed on the sunny beach for 22 hours. at noon, with an assessment of sunburn on all exposed areas of the body 24-XNUMX hours after exposure to the sun.

So what did they find? The results showed that among 81 participants, the umbrella group showed a statistically significant increase in clinical sunburn scores for all body areas assessed—face, back of the neck, upper chest, arms, and legs—compared to the sunscreen group. What's more, there were 142 cases of sunburn in the umbrella group versus 17 in the sunscreen group. The results show that neither looking for shade under an umbrella nor using sunscreen alone can prevent sunburn. Shocking, right?

WHY IS THIS RESEARCH IMPORTANT?

According to the researchers, there is currently no standard metric to measure the effectiveness of shade in sun protection. If you're looking for shade and think your skin is completely protected, these findings may come as a surprise to you. Knowing what we are doing about how UV rays can damage the skin, potentially causing premature visible signs of aging and even some skin cancers, it is important to educate the public that multiple sun protection measures are needed to help protect the skin from harmful UV rays. -Sun rays when direct exposure to outdoors.

ALSO

Don't throw away that beach umbrella just yet! Finding shade is an important step in sun protection, but not the only one to consider. Do not use your umbrella as a medium for applying broad spectrum SPF (and reapplying every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating) and other sun protection products. An umbrella may not protect against reflected or indirect UV rays, which can harm your skin upon exposure.

Keep in mind that no form of sun protection has completely prevented sunburn. Let these findings serve as a reminder that finding more than one form of sun protection is key when you're spending time outdoors. In addition to looking for shade under a beach umbrella, lather with a broad-spectrum waterproof SPF 30 or higher and reapply at least every two hours (or immediately after swimming, toweling, or sweating profusely). American Academy of Dermatology also recommends additional sun protection measures, such as wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and clothing that covers arms and legs if possible.

Bottom line: As we get closer and closer to summer, it's safe to say that this study clears up a lot, and we're very grateful for it.