False claims about sunglasses shared on Facebook again
A Facebook post liked and shared hundreds of times wrongly claims that wearing sunglasses prevents tanning and raises your risk of skin cancer.
The clip contains an extract from a video we have written about before and features Andreas Moritz, a “medical intuitive” who reportedly died in 2012. The post is captioned: “Andreas Moritz: ‘The moment sunglasses were introduced, skin cancer rates EXPLODED.’”
In the footage, Mr Moritz claims sunglasses block UV light from reaching the eyes, preventing the brain from producing a hormone needed for melanin production in the skin, leaving it “susceptible” to sunlight. The clip includes the claim that the introduction of sunglasses led to a massive increase in cancers.
As we have explained in detail previously, this theory has no scientific basis. Melanin is the pigment responsible for tanning, which is produced locally by cells in the skin in direct response to UV exposure. It does not depend on light entering the eyes. As a professor of ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital previously told Full Fact, people who lose their vision can still get tanned.
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In any case, a tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects.
Verified sunglasses are recommended by the NHS to protect the eyes from UV damage, and there is evidence they reduce the risk of ocular melanoma.