A CHILDHOOD in the harsh Australian sun is showing on the faces of Orange residents.
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The SunSense UV Photobus stopped in the city yesterday to allow residents the opportunity to have an ultraviolet photo taken to reveal the hidden sun damage on their faces.
The east coast tour has so far shown that residents of inland Australia tend to have more sun damage, tour manager Stacy Henderson said.
“I personally think it’s because along the coast we had a lot more tourists and people who grew up in Europe,” he said. “Eighty per cent of sun damage usually happens before the age of 18. People from Europe tend to have much less sun damage. As soon as we come inland we get more people who grew up in Australia.”
The UV photo shows sunspots, pigmentation, freckles and moles which are invisible to the naked eye.
Each photograph receives a ranking out of 100, which is generated by comparing an individual’s level of damage to others of the same age group, skin type and gender.
The higher the score, the better.
Average scores from the tour so far ranged from 60 at Cronulla to 41 at Dubbo.
“It’s significant even as you move a little bit inland,” Mr Henderson said.
Mr Henderson said an average of 80 people per day had visited the UV Photobus, with people wanting to know if their sun protection practices were working.
“It gives you a chance to evaluate your sun habits. I think everyone gets a bit of a wake-up call, whether it’s good or bad,” he said.
Rebecca Walkom was one of those who had her UV photo taken at the bus in Orange yesterday.
She said sun protection was important as she spent a lot of time outside for work.
“Considering I work in childcare and I’m outdoors a lot, I’m very cautious of the sun,” she said. “There is also cancer in my family. I wear a hat, 30 plus sunscreen and sunglasses.”
The bus will now move on to Wagga Wagga, Albury and regional Victoria.
Average scores from the SunSense Photobus show that people along the coast and in metropolitan areas have less UV damage than their regional cousins.
The average scores were:
Cronulla 60
Manly 56
Surfers Paradise 55
Byron Bay 54
Coffs Harbour 52
Noosa 51
Port Macquarie 51
Brisbane 49
Orange 46
Tamworth 45
Dubbo 41
