As sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, ozone, water vapor, oxygen, and carbon dioxide absorb all UVC, most UVB, and some UVA. Therefore, the types of UV radiation have varying energy levels and different effects on living organisms and materials.

Learnhow to protect yourself from sunburnwith this NHS advice, and get up-to-date information from our UV forecast. Skin cancer Despite the risks of excessive UV exposure, there are also some health benefits of moderate UV exposure, including: Below are some commonly asked questions about UV radiation: Which type of UV radiation is most harmful? Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Overexposure to UVB, and to a lesser extent UVA, can cause sunburn, leading to the following symptoms: The majority of skin cancer cases are caused by UV radiation either from the sun or sunbeds. It is one of the most common forms of cancer in the UK, with over 15,400cases of malignant melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer) and over 20,000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer (the less deadly type of skin cancer) diagnosed each year. Cancer Research UK Sunsmart The most concerning risk of excessive UV exposure is the increased likelihood of developing skin cancers, including: Get UV forecasts for UK and worldwide locations on the Met Office weather app. The UV forecast shows the UV index for the next 7 days and an hourly forecast for the next 2 days. UV radiation can have both short and long term effects on the condition of our eyes. We often protect ourselves against UV by using sun creamor wearing protective clothing, however, we seldom consider what UV can do to our eyes.UV radiation from the sun or sunbeds can damage the eye's surface tissues as well as the cornea and lens. UV can burn the surface of the eye much like sunburn on skin. To protect your eyes from UV exposure wear good quality UV protective sunglasses.

Prolonged UV exposure to the eyes can also increase the risk of macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. Skin cancer UV nail lamps can cure all LED nail polishes, whereas LED nail lamps can only cure polishes that specifically work with the lamp. This information will be noted on the nail polish. Medium-wavelength UVB significantly promotes skin cancer development. Therefore, it could be considered the most harmful. However, more recently, experts have found that UVA also contributes to skin cancers, so people must protect themselves from UVB and UVA radiation. Are there any health benefits of UV radiation exposure?Sunburn occurs when your skin is overexposed to UV radiation, usually from the sun's rays but also from sunbeds. Extreme sunburn can be very serious and all sunburn can cause serious ongoing health effects, however most people initially experience mild symptoms, such as hot red skin. Protecting yourself against sunburn is very important as excessive UV radiation directly damages the DNA in your skin cells. Often not all of the sun damage will be fully repaired by the body's defence system, so it will gradually cause skin ageing over the years and may lead to skin cancer. That said, there are gel nail lamps available with both LED and UV lights to ensure there will be no difficulties curing the polish. Gel nail polish differs from regular nail polish due to the fact that it is set or cured with ultraviolet light. This ultraviolet light can come from either a UV or LED source, and in the world of gel manicures, not all nail lamps are created equal. What's the difference between UV and LED nail lamps? Your body produces vitamin D when exposed to UV radiation from the sun. Vitamin D helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, both are needed to keep bones and teeth healthy.

Moderate UV radiation is essential for life, but excessive exposure can harm health. The primary risks include: Sunburn This premature aging — known as photoaging — results from the skin’s breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers. Eye damage

The verdict: SAD lamps

Vitamin D synthesis: UV rays help the skin synthesize vitamin D, which is crucial for maintaining healthy bones, supporting the immune system, and regulating cell growth. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ UV radiation plays a crucial role in vitamin D synthesis, a vitamin essential to health that helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus from food. Therefore, experts recommend 5–15 minutes of sun exposure 2–3 times a week. A small amount of UV radiation is essential in the production of vitamin D, however too much exposure to the sun can have serious effects on your skin and eyes. It is important not to be caught out by the sun so use our forecast to plan your day, keep covered and wear a hat and sunglasses, spend time in the shade and use a high factor sun cream with good UVA protection to protect yourself. The key difference between UV and LED nail lamps is the type of lightbulb used. LEDs are usually more energy efficient and emit weaker rays than UV light bulbs. Here’s what that means for your nails:

UV radiation can harm the eyes, contributing to the development of cataracts and other eye conditions. For example, skiers not wearing protective goggles at altitude risk painful UV burns to the surface of the corneas.

The best SAD lamps for 2023 are:

UV radiation is a form of electromagnetic energy emitted primarily by the sun and specific artificial sources. It falls just beyond the violet end of the visible light spectrum, making it invisible to the human eye.