If you thought turbulence, a bathroom mishap or getting knocked around by the food trolley blasting down the aisle was the scariest thing on a plane, think again.
The biggest danger threatening travelers speeding through the sky is an unsuspecting evil that most passengers would have probably never considered.
It’s the UV rays which become more severe the closer you get to the sun.
You might not think so, but those tiny plane windows let in more than enough sun to cause serious damage, as was highlighted by TikTok creator and former flight attendant, Kayla, this week.
“The UV up there is so incredibly high so I am religious with putting on sunscreen before a flight and during,” she told viewers.
“Sunscreen, especially on your hands and face, is a godsend during flights.”
Jetsetters in their hundreds were shocked at the revelation and swiftly made it known they would be applying sun protection next time they had a window seat.
“Omg this never even occurred to me! Will be slip slop slapping from now on,” one wrote in a comment.
“So that’s how I keep getting mystery sunburns on travel days,” another confessed.
“Thanks for letting us know, I will be putting sunscreen on my flight to Japan,” someone else said.
Kayla’s warning has been verified by doctor, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and surgeon, Dendy Engelman, who confirmed the intensity of ultraviolet (UV) radiation was higher on a flight and as such, increased traveler’s risk of skin damage.
“Any exposure to UV rays can lead to skin damage,” Dr Engelman, told Verywell.
“The higher in altitude, the higher dose of radiation you receive.”
He stressed the ozone that usually protected skin by absorbing UV rays was thinner at higher altitudes.
Another doctor, Brendan Camp, told the publication that “more UV rays can penetrate the atmosphere, potentially putting your skin at an increased risk of UV exposure”.
Research from 2015 found pilots who flew for 56 minutes at 30,000 feet had the same ultraviolet radiation exposure they would from 20 minutes in a tanning bed.
The study also found pilots and aircrew were twice as likely as the general population to develop melanoma.
While glass does a good job of blocking UVB rays, the same can’t be said for UVA rays.
The UVA is what bombards people on planes and can lead to skin aging, wrinkles and sunburn.
The shorter UVB rays were typically what caused sunburn.
All UV rays were blocked by car windshields but not the side and back windows, with experts encouraging people to always apply sunscreen when they expected to be exposed to sun.
