Bryan Johnson@bryan_johnson
Australians have older looking skin.
In one week, the Australian sun aged my skin by 5%.
> 15% stronger UV; fair skin can burn in under 15 mins
> 2 in 3 aussies skin cancer before age 70
> 2-3x increase in melanoma risk vs USA
A study involving 1472 Caucasian and Asian women found that signs of skin aging appeared 10–20 years earlier in Australian women than in US women from the same study. Australians self-reported higher rates of change and significantly more severe facial lines and volume-related features like tear troughs and naso-labial folds than women from the other countries.
The sun in Australia is very intense.
The Australian sun increased my skin aging by 5% (via UV damage and spots).
Even though I:
> I used my umbrella when in sun
> protected my skin during peak UV
> and still my skin UV damage increased by 5%
Australians get more intense UV radiation. For example, during summer the earth's orbit puts the Southern Hemisphere closer to the sun, making the sun stronger than in most of the U.S.
Even outside of Southern Hemisphere summer, Australia is almost a "perfect storm" for UV exposure:
> thinner ozone overhead makes it stronger
> cleaner air allows UV to penetrate deeper
> high solar elevation angles due to its relatively low latitude, meaning sunlight reaches the surface more directly and passes through less atmosphere
This is particularly true in Queensland, where proximity to the equator further amplifies UV intensity. Most people in Queensland live roughly at 17–28° from the equator, compared with ~34° for Los Angeles, allowing the Sun to reach significantly higher elevations in the sky and resulting in more intense UV radiation at ground level.
More than the increased cancer risk, up to 90% of visible facial aging is from UV.
The sun is great. You want the right amount. Not too much and not too little.