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A video highlighting the dangers of not wearing sunscreen during a flight has gone viral on TikTok, where it has received 1.8 million views.
The clip was shared by @teawithmd, the TikTok account of board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joyce Park. She is the founder of Skin Refinery, a virtual dermatology clinic.
A message overlaid on the video read: "Dermatology lesson #21: When you learn that pilots have 2x incidence of melanoma [the third most common type of skin cancer] and you should ABSOLUTELY wear sunscreen on airplanes or keep the windows shut." The footage showed a headshot of the dermatologist who appeared to be seated on a plane.
The message read that "flying in the cockpit for 56 minutes at 30K feet received the same amount of UV radiation as that from a 20 minute tanning sesh [session]." It was referencing a 2015 study of airline crew, published in the peer-reviewed JAMA Dermatology.
The study found that pilots and cabin crew have "approximately twice the incidence of melanoma compared with the general population."
The message on the video added: "Even MORE UVA is reflected when flying over thick clouds and snow. Windows block UVB not UVA."
There are three primary categories of ultraviolet (UV) radiation—UVA, UVB and UVC.
UVA is not absorbed by Earth's ozone layer, while most of UVB is absorbed but some does reach the surface. UVC radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not pose as much of a risk, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes.
UVA radiation is weaker than UVB but "penetrates deeper into the skin and is more constant throughout the year," the federal health body says.
UV rays can reach you on cloudy as well as cool days, and they reflect off of surfaces such as water, cement, sand and snow, the CDC explains.
Most incidents of skin cancer are caused by overexposure to UV rays. Among all types of skin cancer, melanoma causes the most deaths because of "its tendency to spread to other parts of the body, including vital organs," warns the federal health body.
In a caption posted with the latest viral video, Park wrote that the 2015 study measured "the amount of UV radiation in airplane cockpits during flight and compared them to UVA carcinogenic [cancer-causing] effective doses in tanning beds. Turns out you get a heck of a lot of UV exposure as a pilot."
The dermatologist advised wearing sunscreen or keeping your window shut when sitting in the back "to reduce exposure to UVA during your flight."
Park said: "After all, you don't want 1/2 of your face getting more sun damage than the other! The more you know!"
Dr. Jaimie DeRosa is a double-board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon based in Boston, Massachusetts. She told Newsweek: "I'm a pilot and definitely have learned to be extra-vigilant with sun protection when in the air."
The surgeon said it's important to wear sunscreen when flying because the higher you travel in the air, the atmosphere gets thinner. "The atmosphere helps to scatter damaging UV rays, so the thinner the atmosphere, this protection dwindles and the UV rays are more powerful and damaging," DeRosa added.
Several users on TikTok welcomed the dermatologist's reminder to wear sunscreen on a plane.
User @flyingfemme wrote: "I'm a pilot and I haven't left my house without 70spf [sun protection factor] on my face in over 3 years." The original poster replied: "Good job! Higher spf still helps because most of us don't use enough sunscreen or reapply often to get the full spf benefits."
Sarah added: "I'm a pilot and I'm often so absorbed with other things that I'd never even considered to reapply my sunscreen. Thank you."
User greta wrote: "I'm flight crew and I recommend wearing long sleeves ! Don't forget to put sunscreen on your hands."
When PammyJayne65 said: "I thought UV rays don't penetrate windows," to which the original poster replied: "UVB is blocked by glass but UVA comes through."
Do you have any skin care health tips for air travel? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more