SAN ANTONIO — Sunscreen is a must in the pool or at the lake, but what about in the car? Many of us spend hours on the road every week, which leads us to this claim.
THE QUESTION
Is it true that I need to wear sunscreen in the car to prevent skin cancer?
THE SOURCES
- Dr. Tessa Cervantes from Sonterra Dermatology
- The St. Louis University School of Medicine
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
"The sun rays, right, are what we talk about. It causes cancer, and so those can pass through the glass," Dr. Cervantes told us. "And so it only blocks a certain amount of rays. So you still get some of those UV rays that come through the glass. So, yes, you can still get skin cancer even if you're sitting in the car with the windows up."
"We tend to see more skin cancer on the left side of the face. The cumulative effect of being exposed to the sun builds up over many years," said Dr. Scott Fosko, the chairman of dermatology at the St. Louis University School of Medicine.
So yes, it is true. You should wear sunscreen in the car to lower your risk of getting skin cancer. Dr. Cervantes also said you should even wear sunscreen on cloudy days because you still get 80 percent of the UV rays from the sun.
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