A new disposable wristband designed to warn users when they've had their daily dose of sun is set to hit the shelves next summer. The device works by using a disappearing ink technology, which fades when the wearer has reached his or her sun exposure limit.
As summer approaches, naturally, our thoughts turn to long days outside enjoying the sun, whether it be engaging in a favorite outdoor activity or just lying on the beach and soaking in the rays. These days, many people are also afraid of the large increase in skin cancer over the past several decades and the numerous warnings we receive through our doctors and the media.
While overexposure concerns are completely valid, they have also created a certain fear of the sun and a perception that sun exposure is bad. While this is true for overexposure, the sun also provides us with the vital vitamin D that we all need for healthy bones. Scientist Dr. David Hazafy of Queen's University Belfast explains: "The sunshine gets the negative press. People are quite scared of getting skin cancer so they don't go out at all. They cover themselves and then there is a problem with vitamin D deficiencies. You need a little bit of sunshine to create vitamin D. If you don't go out at all because you think the sun is dangerous, you don't get it."
Hazafy has a new solution, a cheap disposable plastic wristband that automatically alerts the wearer when they have received a safe dose of daily skin exposure. Hazafy is developing the device, which uses a special disappearing ink technology and that absorbs UV light and fades as sun exposure increases. Since different skin types can be exposed to the sun safely for different amounts of time, there will be several variations, depending on the user's skin tone, as determined by a dermatologist. If a user is wearing sunscreen, they can also apply it directly to the device, which will then adjust to allow the user additional time in the sun according to the SPF.
Since the dye does not disappear permanently, the band could be used again the next day after "recharging," and a pack of bands would retail for only around $10. Hazafy is hoping to have the product in stores by next summer, which means for now, sun worshipers will have to determine their acceptable length of sun exposure the old fashioned way — the pain and redness that is the body's natural way of warning us we've had too much sun.
