Do You Know How The Sun Works? (Your Dermatologist Doesn't)

TIME TO LEARN HOW THE SUN WORKS

Your dermatologist loves to scare you about the sun but I guarantee you that 99.9 out of 100 dermatologists have zero clue about how the sun actually works. And if you have no clue about how something works, what makes you an expert at it?

The chart above is a chart of how sunlight changes over the course of the day.

Sunrise is on the far left, noon is in the middle and sunset is on the far right of the chart.

The letter combinations represent different wavelengths of sunlight.

VIS = visible light (violet, blue, green yellow, orange, red)
IR = infrared light
UVA = ultraviolet A light
UVB = ultraviolet B light

When you look at the color temperature in Kelvin at the bottom of the chart you see the numbers from left to right go from low to high (1000 to 12,000) and the color goes from red on the far left to blue on the far right. A warmer color temperature is represented by a red or orange color and has a lower Kelvin number of around 1000-3000K and higher color temperature is represented by a white or blue color and has a higher kelvin number of around 5000-12000K. 

So the redder the color the lower the color temperature. The bluer the color the higher the color temperature. Color temperature refers to how warm or cool a source of light is. Warmer lights have less circadian rhythm stimulating red and orange light in them and cooler lights have more circadian rhythm stimulating blue and green light in them. As an example, a low color temperature artificial light would be a 2000K incandescent bulb or candle light and a high color temperature light would be a 6500K LED light.

SUNRISE

On the far left of the chart is sunrise. Shortly after the dark of night fades into twilight, we start to see that there is a low color temperature (reddish/orange color) and only visible and infrared light (VIS + IR) are present. At sunrise there is very little UV light present, it has hardly any power to it, so that means that your dermatologist should consider this a very safe time to be out in the sun. 

MID MORNING

As it gets later in the morning, the color temperature starts to increase to around 3000-6000K (you see the colors look like a blend of red, orange and white). In addition to visible and infrared light, we now see that UVA or ultraviolet A light is getting stronger. 

MID DAY

Around noon in the middle of the chart, you see a very high color temperature (represented by the colors blue and white). You also see visible, infrared and UVA light as well as the vitamin d producing UVB light. UVB light tends to get more powerful around mid morning and peaks in power at around noon. 

The peak of UV light power is known as "solar noon" and happens when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky for the day. This is where we see the highest color temperature and greatest overall amount of light for the day (UVB + UVA + VIS + IR).

After solar noon, the sun starts sinking back to the horizon and sunlight starts slowly losing power and returning to a similar blend you find at sunrise.

MID AFTERNOON

In mid afternoon, UVB light fades away, color temperature decreases and we are left with UVA, visible and infrared light.

SUNSET

As sunset approaches, we start to see the same things happening at sunrise except in reverse. Sunset is sunrise reversed. Color temperature gets warmer and the red and oranges take over again, the UVA goes mostly away and only visible light and invisible infrared light remain as we fade into twilight and then dark. 

HERE'S THE THING

As you now see, natural sunlight is dynamic. The colors, kinds and strength change throughout the day which gives your body and brain different operating instructions, timing cues and light "nutrients" to absorb.

Indoor artificial light is static. The colors, kind and strength always stay the same throughout the day. When you live indoors, your body not only misses out on operating instructions and timing cues but also other the beneficial wavelengths of light not included in your artificial light source.

So remember, despite what your dermatologist says.....

YOU WERE BUILT TO OPERATE OUTSIDE!

Lets say you still believe your clueless dermatologist and think your body, after millions of years of evolution and living under the sun. all of the sudden wasnt able to handle the UV light in the sun like the dummy doctor says.

Well...

As you now can see from knowing how the sun works, the sun does not always contain strong UV light over the course of the day. So at the very least, you can determine what those times are in your location and go out in the sun with little clothing and no sunscreen on.

How do you determine those times?

Sunrise and sunset always have the weakest UV light.

The other way to do it is to determine the "UV Index" in your area. The UV Index measures the strength of the UV light. When the UV index is low, then it is "safe" lol for you to be outside unprotected. The weather apps on your phone usually track UV index or you can use a free app called "Dminder".

Always go with nature first. Get out in the sun. You were built for it. But if you absolutely can't get outside regularly then you must try to replace the outdoor wavelengths of sunlight that you are missing.

Replace red and infrared light with a light therapy machine. My favorite red and infrared light therapy machines are made by EMR. All of their models are fantastic. Check the out here and use code "bluelight20" for a discount.

Add in some UVB light for Vitamin D production. To replace UVB light you can use a Vitamin D light that emits wavelengths of UVB. My favorite vitamin d lights are made by the same company who makes the red light above, a company called Sperti which you can see here and a company called Chroma which you can see here.

Another light I would consider using to replace wavelengths I am missing from not being outside is called the Lux Vital. Check it out here.

Ok. Thats all for today.

Please forward this article to a friend or share it on your social media now and make your dermatologist read it.