In the UAE, avoiding long hours outdoors does not necessarily mean avoiding the sun. Exposure can happen during an everyday commute, while driving to work, walking to a parked car, or sitting beside a window at home or in the office.
According to expert, these moments may last only a few minutes, but when repeated every day, the exposure can accumulate over months and years.
“A lot of people don’t know that the UV light, especially the UVA, crosses through the window panes and is still causing pigmentation and ageing,” Dr Amanjot Arora Khokhar, a UAE-based dermatologist specializing in clinical and aesthetic dermatology, said.
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The distinction between UVA and UVB is particularly relevant for commuters. While UVB is largely blocked by windows, UVA can still pass through glass, meaning being inside a car does not necessarily eliminate sun exposure.
How much exposure someone receives can depend on their commute. Amanjot said someone driving for 10 or 15 minutes will have a different level of exposure from someone regularly making longer journeys between emirates.
“A lot of people don’t apply sunscreen when they are driving because they feel, ‘Oh, I was not out in the sun. I just went from the door to my car and then I was inside the car,’” she said.
An example was documented in a medical case involving a 69-year-old truck driver. After 28 years on the road, the side of his face regularly exposed to sunlight through the driver’s window showed markedly greater wrinkling, thickening and other signs of sun-related ageing than the other side.
The case was diagnosed as unilateral dermatoheliosis, illustrating how years of UVA exposure through glass can produce visible differences in the skin.
Amanjot said she notices similar patterns among some patients.
“The side of your face, which is facing the sun, you know, on that side of the window where the sunlight is coming from, that side has pigmentation, and the other side does not have pigmentation,” Amanjot said. “This is a common scenario that we noticed.”
The concern is not necessarily one short drive, but what happens when the exposure becomes routine.
“These short exposures, they look short for the day, but you look at the cumulative damage over the whole year and then multiple years you’re following the same routine,” she said.
For people prone to pigmentation or concerned about ageing, Amanjot said these periods should be taken seriously. Those with a personal or family history of skin cancer may need to be particularly careful.
Dr Khushbu Goel, Specialist Dermatology & Cosmetology at Aster Day Surgery Centre, Mankhool, similarly said everyday activities can expose residents to UVA radiation, even when they spend much of their day indoors.
Khushbu said car and building glass can block around 96% of UVB rays, but provide less protection against UVA. UVA penetrates deeper into the skin and can cause cumulative cellular damage, contributing to ageing, pigmentation and an increased risk of skin cancers.
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Even sitting near a bright window can be a source of exposure. During peak summer, Khushbu said spending 30 to 60 minutes near a bright window can potentially cause damage.
She therefore recommends daily sunscreen use in the UAE, including for people who spend most of their time indoors where sunlight enters through windows.
One common misconception is that a much higher SPF provides dramatically greater protection.
“SPF 100 blocks around 99% of UV rays, while SPF 50 blocks around 98%,” Khushbu said. “Therefore, a higher or doubled SPF does not mean double protection.”
For everyday use, Khushbu recommends broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher, with SPF 50 or above for outdoor activities and direct sun exposure. She recommends applying sunscreen 30 minutes to one hour before going outside and reapplying when there is direct sun exposure.
The formulation also matters.
“Lotion or gel based sunscreen is preferable to avoid oiliness or a whitish texture,” Khushbu said, while water-resistant sunscreen is advisable for swimming and outdoor sports.
Cloudy weather can also lead people to underestimate their exposure.
“People also think that they do not need sunscreen on rainy or cloudy days,” Khushbu said. “In reality, around 80% of UV rays can penetrate clouds, so sunscreen should be used on these days as well.”
Makeup containing SPF may not provide sufficient protection either.
“Wearing makeup with SPF is not enough for adequate sun protection,” Khushbu said.
Amanjot said the amount of sunscreen applied is also important. Some patients use only a few dots, but she recommends around two finger lengths for the face and three for the face and neck.
“A good layer, not just dot, dot, dot,” she said.
Sun protection can also include protective clothing, hats, UV protective sunglasses and seeking shade, particularly during prolonged outdoor activities.
For UAE residents, the daily commute can therefore be an easily missed source of sun exposure. A short drive, a walk to the car or time beside a bright window may seem insignificant individually.
But when those brief encounters happen every day for years, they become part of a person’s cumulative exposure. Avoiding the beach or spending most of the day indoors may reduce exposure, but it does not necessarily mean the skin is avoiding the sun.
Source: Khaleej Times