The Skin Cancer Foundation

Just what is ultraviolet (UV) radiation? UV radiation, emitted by both the sun, and tanning beds and lamps, is a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). From long-wave to shortwave, and from UVA to UVC, the articles below discuss UV radiation, how it can damage your skin, eyes, and immune system, and how to protect yourself from its harmful effects.

Shining Light on Ultraviolet Radiation

Ultraviolet radiation is composed of three wavelengths: UVA, UVB and UVC. While UVC isn't a concern for skin cancer, UVA and UVB play different roles when it comes to tanning, burning, and photoaging.
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UV Film

Ultraviolet radiation can travel through car and home windows, where it can contribute to the daily accumulation of sun exposure that can lead to skin cancer and photoaging. UV-blocking films can not only protect you against this exposure, but can offer other benefits as well.
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What to Look for in a Light Box

Choose a Light Box With 10,000 Lux of Illumination. Light boxes offering fewer lux are not as effective.

Use a UV Filter. Most light boxes use fluorescent bulbs, which emit a small amount of UV radiation. Your light box should have a UV filter or diffusing screen to protect your skin and eyes.

Opt for Soft, White Lights. Full spectrum lights produce greater amounts of blue light (which can harm the eyes) and UV radiation.

Understanding UVA and UVB

For a six billion-year-old star, the sun is certainly in the news a lot lately, mainly because it is still a source of uncertainty and confusion to many of us.

The center of this confusion is the sun’s ultraviolet A (long-wave) and ultraviolet B (shortwave) rays. Our understanding of exactly what kinds of damage each causes to the skin, and how best to protect ourselves, seems to shift every year as new research comes out.

Ozone and UV: Where Are We Now?

The stratospheric ozone layer absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation (shortwave UV rays measuring 280-315 nanometers, or nm) emitted by the sun. In small amounts, UVB radiation is helpful to life (e.g., for the production of vitamin D). But what happens when the ozone layer is threatened?

That’s what happened in the 1970s and 1980s. Concerns regarding the ozone layer began in 1970 with Paul Crutzen’s study¹ suggesting that nitrogen oxides could act as catalysts to destroy ozone. Then, Harold Johnston² suggested that nitrogen oxides from stratospheric supersonic transport aircraft (such as the Concorde) might deplete the ozone layer by 3 to 23 percent.