Photo Illustration by Lecia Landis for Verywell Health; Getty Images
While you probably have sunscreen on your packing list for your summer vacation, you may want to slather it on while you’re waiting to board your flight to avoid getting sun-damaged skin before you even arrive at your destination. Soundproof Sheets For Walls
Here’s how flying on a plane exposes you to harmful UV rays and what you can do to protect yourself, according to board-certified dermatologists.
Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic in New York, told Verywell that since airplanes travel at high altitudes and are therefore closer to the sun, the intensity of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that you’re exposed to on a flight is higher, which can increase your risk of skin damage.
“Any exposure to UV rays can lead to skin damage,” said Engelman. “The higher in altitude, the higher dose of radiation you receive.”
Brendan Camp, MD, board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology, told Verywell that flying on a plane can expose you to harmful UV light like ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays because the intensity of UV radiation increases at higher altitudes.
If you can see the sun from your seat then you are getting exposed to UVA radiation.
The ozone layer normally protects your skin from UV radiation by absorbing UV rays, but it’s thinner at higher altitudes. As a result, Camp said that as a plane goes up higher into the sky, “more UV rays can penetrate the atmosphere, potentially putting your skin at an increased risk of UV exposure.”
In other words, the thin atmosphere at higher altitudes lets more UV radiation pass through and reach the plane, which can lead to potential skin damage.
A 2015 study found that pilots flying for 56 minutes at 30,000 feet got the same amount of ultraviolet A radiation exposure that they'd get from just 20 minutes in a tanning bed. The researchers also found that pilots and flight attendants were twice as likely as the general population to develop melanoma, a cancer caused by UV light exposure.
While the study mainly focused on cabin crew members, experts say that passengers (especially people who travel often) could also be at risk of UV exposure and skin damage.
Mary Alice Mina, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at Baucom & Mina Derm Surgery, told Verywell that since UVA and UVB wavelengths can reach people when they are on the ground and cause skin damage and skin cancers, it makes sense that the closer you are to the sun at higher elevations, the more harmful and intense the UV wavelengths will be.
According to Mina, there are other reasons why you’re exposed to UV rays when you are on a plane, including heavy cloud coverage or flying over snow that “can reflect back harmful wavelengths into the cockpit,” especially if your window is open.
Camp said that plane windows can prevent some UV rays like UVB rays (which have a shorter wavelength) from leaking through. Aircraft windows are made of thick plexiglass, such as polycarbonate or acrylic plastics, that can filter out a decent amount of UVB light.
“People in the aisle and window seats can be exposed to UV radiation,” said Camp. “If you sit next to the window, you can control if the window shade is open or closed.”
Although airplane windows filter some UVB light, Engelman said that they do not block other UV rays. For example, UVA rays are a longer wavelength than UVB rays, so they can penetrate window glass more easily.
"Anyone coming into direct contact with sunlight is at risk of UVA exposure,” said Engelman. “Someone in the window seat will receive more exposure, but there are still risks for those in an aisle seat with the window open.”
According to Engelman, UVB rays cause sunburn while UVA rays are associated with premature aging as they penetrate deeper into the skin.
“It should come as no surprise that airline pilots are at higher risk of skin cancer than most professions,” she said.
Prolonged exposure to UVA radiation can lead to skin damage, premature aging, and an increased risk of skin cancer.
Exposure to UV rays during a typical flight is unlikely to cause a lot of skin damage for travelers, but experts say that prolonged and repeated exposure to UV rays on a plane can cause skin aging and may increase a person’s risk of skin cancer—especially for cabin crew members like flight attendants and pilots.
“If you can see the sun from your seat then you are getting exposed to UVA radiation,” said Mina. “It’s best to make sure you are wearing mineral-based sunscreen, long sleeves, and close the window to help minimize the exposure.”
To protect your skin from the sun whether you are traveling by plane, train, or car, Mina said that prevention is. Here are some sun protection measures recommended by dermatologists.
You can be exposed to UV rays from the sun that can damage your skin while you’re flying since planes are closer to the sun. Dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen and protective clothing on a flight and taking other measures like using window shades on the plane to protect your skin from the sun.
Sanlorenzo M, Vujic I, Posch C, Cleaver JE, Quaglino P, Ortiz-Urda S. The risk of melanoma in pilots and cabin crew: UV measurements in flying airplanes. JAMA Dermatol. 2015;151(4):450–452. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.4643
American Cancer Society. What causes melanoma skin cancer?.
National Air and Space Museum. What kind of glass is used on airplane windows?.
Skin Cancer Foundation. UV radiation & your skin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sun safety.
By Alyssa Hui Alyssa Hui is a St. Louis-based health and science news writer. She was the 2020 recipient of the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association Jack Shelley Award.
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