Sun and skin in the UAE: how to protect yourself

Yuna Shkhagosheva — GP, dermatologist, cosmetologist, trichologist

What ultraviolet does

UVB causes burns and directly damages the DNA of skin cells. UVA penetrates deeper, drives photoageing, contributes to carcinogenesis, and passes through window glass — meaning it reaches you in the car and beside an office window. Damage accumulated over years shows up as pigmentation, loss of firmness and an increased risk of skin cancer.

Using sun protection properly

Dermatology guidance converges on simple rules that almost nobody follows completely:

• SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum — that is, covering UVA as well;
• quantity matters: roughly half a teaspoon for face and neck; most people apply a third of that and get a third of the protection;
• reapply every 2 hours outdoors, and immediately after swimming or heavy sweating;
• apply on cloudy days too — clouds block only a fraction of ultraviolet;
• shade, clothing, a hat and sunglasses work as well as cream, sometimes better;
• avoid peak hours, roughly 10:00 to 16:00.

Pigmentation

A frequent complaint in this climate is melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: dark patches on the face that darken after every time outdoors. Treating any pigmentation without daily strict photoprotection is futile — procedures give a temporary result and the pigment returns. Protection here is not an adjunct to treatment; it is its foundation.

Why vitamin D is still low

The logic that "Dubai is sunny, so vitamin D must be fine" does not hold. People move from an air-conditioned flat to a car to an office, go out little in the heat, cover their skin and use sun protection — cutaneous synthesis is minimal. Vitamin D deficiency is well documented across the Gulf region. Checking is simple: 25-hydroxyvitamin D at GMS costs AED 250. Self-prescribing high doses without a test is unwise — vitamin D is fat-soluble and accumulates.

What to have checked

An annual skin check is worthwhile if you are fair-skinned, burn easily, have many moles or a family history of melanoma. An examination with dermoscopy is quick and allows changes to be tracked over time — see our article on moles and dermoscopy.

Where to have this done

At GMS a dermatologist consultation is AED 750, and vitamin D and other lab tests are taken in the same clinic. Open daily, consultations in English and Russian.

Further reading

• American Academy of Dermatology. Sunscreen FAQs
• World Health Organization. Ultraviolet radiation

FAQ

What SPF do I need in the UAE?

SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum, so it covers UVA too. Quantity matters: roughly half a teaspoon for face and neck; most people apply a third of that and get a third of the protection. Reapply every 2 hours outdoors and immediately after swimming or heavy sweating, and apply on cloudy days as well.

Why is vitamin D low in Dubai despite the sun?

People move from an air-conditioned flat to a car to an office, go out little in the heat, cover their skin and use sun protection, so cutaneous synthesis is minimal. Deficiency is well documented across the Gulf region. Checking is simple: 25-hydroxyvitamin D at GMS costs AED 250; self-prescribing high doses without a test is unwise.

Why does pigmentation come back after treatment?

Melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation darken after every time outdoors. Treating pigmentation without daily strict photoprotection is futile: procedures give a temporary result and the pigment returns. Protection is not an adjunct to treatment but its foundation.

This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.

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