LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) — More than 4.2 million Americans are expected to fly for Thanksgiving this year, according to AAA. Many of them, it stands to reason, will find themselves in a window seat; and while they’re probably going to count themselves lucky that they’re not crammed in the middle, they’re also going to want to pack some extra sunscreen. A little science can explain why.
The sun puts out ultraviolet radiation. We call them UV rays for short. Some are UVB rays, which are the main cause of sunburns. Most are UVA rays, which penetrate deeper into the skin and play a big part in skin aging and cancer.
Now, here’s where your airplane window seats come in. Airplane windows are usually made out of special plastic or layered glass. They’re really good at filtering out UVB rays, which is why you’ve probably never gotten a nasty sunburn from a plane ride. However, they’re not so great at filtering out UVA rays, and to make matters worse: the sun can be more damaging at higher altitudes.
All this combined means your risk for skin cancer and sun damage to your skin can be greater during a flight. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association an hour of sun exposure on a plane is the equivalent of spending about 20 minutes in a tanning bed.
Don’t panic, window-seat dwellers out there. There are simple things you can do to keep your skin protected as you travel to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving.
First of all, as the window seat rider, you have control over the window shade. Just close it during the daylight hours when the sun is hitting you. You can also make sure you’re wearing a sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30 and protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Dermatologists recommend you do this daily, anyway.
►Contact reporter Rob Harris at rjharris@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@robharristv) and Facebook.