Sunlight continues to damage people’s skin and increase the risk of cancer for hours after they leave the beach and head indoors, according to a study published in the journal Science.
Stepping under the shade of an umbrella after soaking in some sun might feel like an instant cool, but your skin cells have a postsunshine hangover that lasts for hours.
In fact, molecules excited by the ultraviolet (UV) rays keep on damaging the DNA in skin cells even in complete darkness, researchers have discovered.
The finding could lead to a new generation of skin cancer preventives that are applied after a day in the sun and block these delayed effects.