Picture this: a gloomy drive up the mountain pass — then boom — a break in the clouds, fresh powder, sun glistening off the lift — a perfect day to hit the slopes.
But the perfect day on the mountain doesn’t always mean the perfect day for your skin, according to Arup Indra, a skin cancer researcher and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Oregon State University.
“When you’re getting to higher altitudes, the air becomes thinner and the solar radiations is more direct, so you may get a greater exterior degree of sunburn,” Indra said. “Reflections… can also induce the damage response.”
Ultraviolet light intensity increases by about two to four percent for every 100–300 meters of elevation, Indra said in an email. Snow can reflect up to 80–90% of UV rays, which significantly increases UV exposure during winter sports.
“That’s why we do get sunburn and suntan even in the winter when we are… out there snowboarding, skiing or just hanging around the ice,” Indra said.
According to Indra, in the winter our skin is often subject to intermittent sun exposure rather than chronic sun exposure which is more common in the summer. Both chronic and intermittent exposure can lead to skin cancer, but the risk profiles differ.
Intermittent, intense sun exposure and sunburns are more associated with melanoma, whereas chronic cumulative exposure is more linked to squamous cell carcinoma and to a lesser extent basal cell carcinoma, Indra said in an email.
“(Chronic and intermittent sun exposure) may still have a similar risk just because there could be a different set of mutations,” Indra said. “(In the winter) your skin is much more vulnerable… because they…get used to more somber radiations, or less radiations.”
According to Indra, at certain altitudes or with sudden exposure, sunlight can cause more DNA damage, especially if the skin is unaccustomed.
“On a cloudy day… when you are going up to ski and on your way, it’s dark and gloomy, but when you reach the top of the mountains, the sun comes out and there is a lot of snow, and at that time you get a high risk of higher altitude clear sky.”
Indra explained that this burst of solar radiation can lead to a larger extent of damage, create lesions, mutations and that repeated or severe sunburns increase the risk of skin cancer. According to Indra, the skin’s repair mechanisms can be overwhelmed when exposed to high doses of UV, which can lead to persistent DNA damage.
For those hitting the mountain this winter, Indra recommended trying to minimize UV exposure by taking breaks throughout the day from the slopes.
Indra suggested that people stay hydrated and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high sun protection factor to shield the skin for longer durations of time.
If someone normally burns after 10 minutes in the sun, an SPF of five would extend that time by a factor of five, meaning they’d burn in roughly 50 minutes instead.
However, Indra clarified that real-world protection is often less due to under-application, sweating and environmental factors.
“Now if you are an avid skier or snowboarder — and so you might like to spend the whole day (on the mountain), right?” Indra said. “That means you need at least seven, eight hours of protection. And if you are up in the mountains, if you’re (at) Mount Hood, you may not have access to your sunscreen because you’re already (skiing), so SPF 50, once you apply that, can provide you 50 times 10 equals 500 minutes.” This would provide your skin protection for over eight hours.
According to Indra, the current guidelines recommend broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher for winter sports, and reapplication every two hours regardless of SPF, particularly with sweating or after wiping the face, which are common during winter sports.
Indra also noted that the risks of UV damage and the importance of skin protection extend beyond days on the mountain and are important parts of everyday life, regardless of the season.
“I think it’s always good to protect your skin no matter what at any time, because of the fact you never know, there are some genetic mutations where you can just have inherent specific mutations that you may not be aware of,” Indra said.
There could also be somatic mutations, which can happen at any time and increase an individual’s risk of cancer, Indra said in an email. UV exposure is a modifiable risk factor for all skin types.
“To be careful is always better than making a mistake…So taking effective measures, taking precautions and protecting your skin is essential.”