I enjoy snow skiing and wanted to know if I need to wear sunscreen even when the sun is hiding behind the clouds?

Yes, you should wear sunscreen on both sunny and cloudy days. In a recent study published in the journal, Archives of Dermatology, it was found that many people inaccurately associate temperature and cloud cover with UV exposure. Though UV radiation is lower in the winter compared with the summer, there are large variations in UV exposure during the winter…this means that UV radiation can reach very high levels even in the winter time. Bottom line: wear sun protection this winter when hitting the slopes and re-apply sunscreen approximately every 2 hours to minimize your UV exposure and thus minimizing your risk of skin cancer.

Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.