There’s still no evidence that wearing sunglasses causes cancer
A video shared on Facebook claims that wearing sunglasses causes cancer. But there’s no evidence for this.
The video includes a clip of Andreas Moritz, a “medical intuitive” who reportedly died in 2012.
In it, he claims sunglasses block UV light from reaching the eyes and prevent the brain from producing a hormone needed for melanin production in the skin, leaving it “susceptible” to sunlight. He also claims the introduction of sunglasses led to a massive increase in cancers. Full Fact has fact checked this clip several times before.
As we have already explained, melanin is produced locally by skin cells in response to UV light, not by light entering the eyes. A professor of ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital previously told us, people who lose their vision can still tan. There’s evidence sunglasses may also help prevent melanoma of the eye and the NHS recommends wearing them.
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It’s worth checking health claims on social media against reliable sources such as the NHS.
This article is part of our work fact checking potentially false pictures, videos and stories on Facebook. You can read more about this—and find out how to report Facebook content—here. For the purposes of that scheme, we’ve rated this claim as false because there is no evidence that wearing sunglasses causes cancer.
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