The NICE guidelines also highlight that exposure levels vary from person to person, which in turn can make these things a challenge to communicate.
“How much time we should spend in the sun depends on a number of factors including geographical location, time of day and year, weather conditions and natural skin colour,” explains Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at NICE.
“People with lighter skin, people who work outside and those of us who enjoy holidays in sunny countries all have a higher risk of experiencing skin damage and developing skin cancer. On the other hand, people who cover up for cultural reasons, are housebound or otherwise confined indoors for long periods of time are all at higher risk of low vitamin D levels.”
Over AND under exposure
Sunlight comprises infrared, visible and ultraviolet (UV) rays, and the new NICE guidance focuses on the balance of risks and benefits from the UV rays, specifically the UVA and UVB rays that reach the earth’s surface.
Exposing commonly uncovered areas of skin such as forearms and hands, for short periods when in strong sunlight provides vitamin D; but it is important not stay unprotected in the sun long enough to burn or tan.
In its guidance NICE has made 18 recommendations aiming to support healthcare professionals, including on tailored advice on a one-to-one basis, creating effective national and local media campaigns to emphasise how risks and benefits vary depending on the individual, and about combining sun care messages with existing national and local health promotion programmes.
The guidelines have been welcomed by the industry with the CTPA saying that it will help develop consistency in the information provided, and better educate and protect people from over or under exposure to sunlight.
Conflict
The guidance for sun protection is often conflicted with advice for promoting Vitamin D synthesis, which NICE acknowledges.
It says this is why it is important for people to know their skin type and make sure that sun exposure doesn’t put people at risk of burning and other damage that the sun’s rays can cause, while being mindful of boosting Vitamin D levels.
The committee acknowledged that there is a need to provide clear advice on how to safely get Vitamin D from sunlight.
This guideline complements the existing NICE guideline on vitamin D which recommends that people who are at risk of low vitamin D should be given better access to supplements to protect their health.
“We need to better identify groups at risk of over or under exposure to sunlight and give them better understanding of why they may need to modify their behaviour and how,” adds Professor Leng.
“Our new recommendations will help tailor public health activities focused on those groups most at risk from over or under exposure to sunlight. They will ensure that all activities and campaigns take a balanced, consistent and effective approach, and ultimately make the sun more friend than foe.”