Smartphone app is designed to protect against sunburn

Smartphone app for protection against sunburn

09/04/2014

The risk of sunburn is currently not particularly high, but when temperatures rise again, it is especially important for sun worshipers to protect themselves from the dangerous UV rays, which are also responsible for skin cancer. A new smartphone app makes it easier to find the right sunscreen. Users can query their individual UV self-protection time and thus better protect themselves.

Sunburns can lead to skin cancer
Sunburns are among the leading causes of irreparable skin damage and the development of skin cancer. However, depending on skin type, people will turn red at different rates without UV protection in the sun. In the future, a smartphone app can help determine how long you can stay in the sun unscathed. On Monday, the app developed by the Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) called UV-Check was presented in Berlin.

Everybody should practice skin cancer prevention
Smartphone users can now use this UV-Check app to query their individual UV self-protection time in Europe and protect themselves from excessive UV radiation. The co-developer of the UV-Check service Ralf Meerkötter from the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics explained in a statement: „Incidentally, today, in view of the high life expectancy, skin cancer prevention should be carried out by everyone, whether they are on vacation, wanting to enjoy the sun, or, inevitably, staying outdoors for a long time, eg as landscape gardeners or construction workers.“

Smartphone App is available for free
To use the new service, you have to activate the location service of your mobile phone and enter, among other things, whether it is cloudy, at what altitude above sea level you are and what kind of skin you have. The app then calculates the so-called UV self-protection time of the user on the basis of the current position of the sun, the ozone distribution in the atmosphere at the location and the terrain elevation. The program was developed for the operating systems iOS and Android. Users of corresponding smartphones can download the app for free.

Sunburn should be cooled
However, if it comes to a sunburn, it is important to cool the affected skin. But home remedies such as moist envelopes usually help quite well. Quark, yoghurt, aloe vera and healing clay have also proven to be a home remedy for sunburn. However, if you experience severe discomfort, such as blistering, nausea and vomiting, fever, chills, headache and dizziness, consult a doctor. Because these are various signs of a sunstroke, which should be urgently treated by a doctor. (Sb)