New wearable UV detector can monitor exposure and prevent sunburn

Scientists have created a new wearable UV detection system that could help prevent sunburn.

Almost nine in ten skin cancer cases in the UK are caused by exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and sunbeds, according to Cancer Research.

UV radiation can cause significant damage to skin health. Of the three types – UVA, UVB, and UVC – UVA is the most dangerous, because its long wavelength enables it to skate past the ozone layer and penetrate deep into human skin.

Wearing sunscreen provides useful protection against UVA, but this new fully transparent device connects with a smartphone and tracks the user's exposure to it, which could help prevent the risk of skin damage.

Unlike existing opaque sensors, this new, clear device “enables seamless integration with surroundings and users, particularly in wearable devices such as smart watches, glasses, and patches, where transparent UV detection is required”, according to study author Yu Bin Kim at Soongsil University in Seoul, South Korea.

“This health care device, integrated with a smartphone, demonstrates its potential as a practical approach to prevent risks associated with prolonged UV exposure,” researchers concluded.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, tested the sensor’s transmittance - the amount of light that successfully passes through the opaque device to reach its inner semiconductor. Researchers found the sensor achieved an average transmittance of 75 per cent.

This sensor was then connected to a smartphone, and in real time, the system collected data about sunlight and warned the user when they received 80 per cent of their threshold before the predicted occurrence of sunburn.

Prolonged exposure to UVA accelerates skin ageing and increases the risk of cancer, and the study authors argued that real-time monitoring is essential to prevent skin damage and associated health risks.

However, that doesn’t mean you should stop taking other precautions like wearing sunscreen and seeking shade in midday sun, experts have said. This device has been designed as an additional tool to prevent sun damage.

Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer, compared to never being burnt, Cancer Research warns.

Research shows just one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence nearly doubles a person’s lifetime risk of developing melanoma later in life - the deadliest type of skin cancer.

The NHS advises people to wear a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to protect against UVB rays and at least a 4-star UVA protection to prevent sun damage.