UV Protection
The sun is a tremendous source of energy. It is constantly sending its energy through space towards the earth in the form of electromagnetic radiation or energy waves. This transfer of heat from the sun to earth is called radiation.
Included in these powerful bands are the invisible and more energetic (higher frequency) ultraviolet rays. There are three types of ultraviolet rays: UV-C (100 – 290 nanometers), UV-B (290 -320 nanometers), and UV-A (320- 400 nanometers). The earth’s atmosphere and ozone layer filter out most UV-C and a percentage of the UV-B.
Currently, quality made Window Films block up to 99% of these harmful rays, and keep occupants of cars, homes or buildings safe from these harmful rays.
UV-A & UV-B
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation represents only about 3% of the energy being transmitted in normal sunlight. UV-B causes sunburn, and prolonged exposure to it over many years has been linked to skin cancer, particularly basal and squamous cell. Glass absorbs heavily in the UVB range and screens most of those wavelengths. UV-A is now thought to cause 90% of skin aging and has been linked to melanoma since the longer wavelength of the UV-A rays penetrate deeper into the skin. “Broad-spectrum” sunscreens were developed to screen UV-B and UV-A. Early sunscreens only screened in the UV-B and allowed people to stay in the sun longer without experiencing a sunburn, thus allowing more UV-A skin damage.
Skin Cancer Foundation
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, there are about 106,000 new cases of non-invasive and 101,000 cases of invasive melanoma carcinoma and about 3.6 million basal cell and 1.8 million squamous cell skin cancers diagnosed annually in the US. There are roughly 7000 melanoma skin cancer deaths per year. Window film is designed to absorb UV-A radiation so while glass may protect from a sunburn, the addition of window film can be a significant improvement in the blocking of aging and cancer-causing UV radiation.
Skin Cancer Foundation
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends window film as a viable tool in helping to protect people from harmful UV rays that may cause skin cancer. Visit the recommended products section of their website for more information.