'Colour-changing sunscreen patch may protect from sunburns'

A high-tech UV-sensitive patch that changes colour when it is time to reapply sunscreen may help protect people from sunburns and the risk of skin cancer, scientists say.
Currently the most common way to assist people to determine how long they can safely stay in the sun after sunscreen application is time-based on the two hour reapply recommendation, researchers said.
"Sunscreen when applied at the correct concentration (2mg/cm2) is effective at blocking the harmful effects of ultra violet radiation, however the concentration applied in real life conditions is usually less, which provides inadequate protection," said Elke Hacker from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia.

"What we are seeing is despite doing their best to stay sun safe and sunburn-free, people get either the concentration or the timing wrong resulting in a damaging dose of ultraviolet radiation," she said.
Researchers are looking at the usability of a newly developed wearable UV indicator that takes away the guesswork in how much sunscreen to apply and when to reapply by changing colour to warn wearers their sunscreen is no longer effective.
"As part of our study we are looking for Brisbane-based volunteers to test a patch before we undertake a larger trial to determine if it can reduce the incidence of sunburn," said Hacker.

"Participants will be asked to test the patch for a 7-day period and attend two focus groups sessions at the start and end of the study," she said.

UV radiation or sunlight exposure was the main environmental risk factor for skin cancer, said Hacker.
"What we know is that sunburn rates are high, especially among younger people, with more than 72 per cent of Queenslanders aged 18-24 admitting to getting sunburnt," she added.
"High rates of sunburn are caused because people are unaware when dangerous UV levels have been reached. This device seeks to give real-time information that can help change unhealthy sun exposure habits," she said.