UV rays entering through the eyes promote the production of a hormone in the brain responsible for melanin, so when sunglasses are worn the skin's natural defence mechanism is not activated as it should be, leading to an increase in the likelihood of skin cancer.
Melanin is our natural sunscreen which protects us from the harmful UV rays by darkening the colour of the skin.
Sunglasses make the brain think it's dark and this means you're not starting the natural process of tanning. You're more likely to burn and therefore at more risk of skin cancer. Dr Sharon Moalem
Case study
Sabrina & I are friends with a ski instructor here in France. She is a body conscious vegan who does everything right when it comes to consuming organic, high nutrition food. Yet we learned just a few days ago that despite her young age she has skin cancer on her face.
Skin cancer is usually the result of toxins in the skin reacting with sunlight. But in the case of a toxin free body there is clearly more to the story. Her job means she spends the majority of her day in high intensity sun with ski goggles on, leaving part of her face exposed.
Suncream
She was using natural sunblock to protect herself, believing this would be enough.
This article is not about suncream but as a quick side note, the high factor sunscreen we’ve been told to wear is now proven to be a carcinogen which actually causes skin cancer.
Most people still have no idea about this but the research is clear and will be common knowledge in the next few decades. So if you must stay out in the sun for unnaturally long periods and intend to use a cream as protection, look for one made exclusively from natural products.
A simple test with suncream is to ask yourself would you eat it based on it's ingredients? If the answer is no then why would you put it on your body where it will slowly absorb into your bloodstream, much as it would if you were to eat it?
For our ski instructor friend even the natural suncream could not do enough to protect her from prolonged exposed day after day. Had she worn no sunglasses & no sunscreen and built up her tolerance slowly, she would have been much less likely to get the skin cancer. The problem of course is that with this level of sun intensity, the eyes themselves are susceptible to damage so the only real prevention in this case would have been to moderate the number of days spent doing the job or completely cover the face area with a balaclava.
A brief history of sunglasses
- Just 50 years after the death of Christ, Roman Emperor Nero is recorded as having watched the gladiators through polished emeralds held up to his eyes.
1200 - The Inuits make sunshades using slits in bones.
1430 - The first specifically designed sunglasses are made in Italy but remain exclusive to the rich.
1929 - Sam Foster launches his 'Foster Grants' at Woolworths and they quickly become the first mass-produced sunglasses.
1930's - Bausch & Lomb develop sunglasses to reduce high-altitude sun glare for military pilots and aviator glasses quickly become popularised with the movie stars and general public in 1937 after Ray Ban develop the anti-glare sunglasses using polarisation.
1970's - Hollywood stars and fashion designers adopt sunglasses as a must have accessory and the rest of the world follows.
2007 - The first study proves a connection between cancer and sunglasses.
The rise of skin cancer
Melanoma mortality had been climbing steadily since 1950 with an estimated 4.3 million cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the U.S. each year and it would appear that the increase correlates perfectly with the worldwide adoption of sunglasses & suncream.
Irrational fear
Over the last few decades there has been a growing fear of the sun, driven by the media. But in all our focus upon the problems created by overexposure and endless preventative measures to keep us 'safe' a simple truth has been forgotten... the sun is actually good for us!
The woman you can see here is massively reducing the amount of light entering her eyes which will in turn reduce her body's ability to detect the bright sunlight falling on her shoulders, putting them at a heightened risk of skin cancer.
☀️ SUNSHINE HEALTH ☀️
Heliotherapy or Light Therapy is the oldest and simplest healing tool known to man, often overlooked in this age of fear. A short period of daily sunshine exposure, letting it fall on the skin and enter the eyes is of course the most natural thing in the world and if we weren't all so busy all the time would be considered a normal part of daily life.
An examination of why we don't need sunglasses
One of the first things I noticed when reducing my sunglasses time was that the more I wore them, the more I needed to wear them... and the same was true in reverse. It was as if my eyes were rebuilding my natural inner sunglasses whenever I went in the sun without them and in time I no longer needed them at all.
Less adaptable to light & dark
Eyes operate like any of the other organs in the body and if you don’t use ’em, you lose ’em, so if they are not consistently exposed to the full spectrum of UV light then your ability to adapt to bright daylight will decline along with your vision.
Hormone regulation
Sunlight entering through the eyes stimulates the hypothalamus in the brain which is connected to the pineal gland. The pineal gland is largely responsible for regulating sleep/wake cycles via the secretion of melatonin (the good sleep hormone). The natural contrast between light and day helps assure normal hormonal activity and with it healthy sleep, without which the body will not use this time to rest and repair as it should.
Eye fatigue
Because eyes are designed to interact with sunlight, wearing sunglasses for long periods of time can become a significant stress. Behind sunglasses your eyes are in the dark and are actually being forced to work HARDER than normal, leading to poorer vision and eye problems later in life.
Sunglasses with improper UV protection
These can be far worse than not wearing sunglasses at all. In bright sunlight the eyes naturally try to protect themselves from too much UV light by shrinking the size of the pupils. But when you artificially create darkness over your eyes with standard sunglasses, your pupils open up wide allowing in even more potentially harmful UV light. Again, you can get ready for those eye problems in later life.
Why are we still wearing them?
The answer to this question can be found when we look closer at the industry.
80% of all glasses and sunglasses brands are controlled by a single Italian company you are unlikely to have heard of because they prefer to stay out of the limelight.
Luxottica
Their control is so complete, competition has become virtually impossible and as a newly emerging company in this field you must abide by their rules or watch as they destroy and buy you out.
Monopoly
When one company controls the market like this, they can charge anything they like both for the designer brands and the 'low cost' alternatives. Leonardo Del Vecchio, the company's founder is famous for saying "the value of a product is determined by what people are prepared to pay for it" and you can be in no doubt the water has been tested to see exactly how far this boundary can be pushed.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely
Single companies wieing this kind of power are likely to be rewarded a place at the corporate table of giants from which the control system is manipulated. The irrational fear I mentioned earlier is a very powerful money generating tool for the men around this table and the mainstream media system the perfect mechanism for delivery.
There have been no further studies since the Journal of Investigative Dermatology made the connection between sunglasses & cancer in 2007 and the public still remain largely unaware of the situation.
Dr Sharon Moalem did at least write a groundbreaking book covering this subject, designed to help all of us live longer, healthier lives.
In conclusion
I've not worn sunglasses for over five years and there is rarely a situation which is too bright for me now.
Recent studies confirm that a lack of sunlight can lead to osteoporosis, cancer and depression among other things and we would do well to remind ourselves that a large percentage of the light required to maintain a healthy body enters through the eyes.
Like so many of our modern gadgets sunglasses prevent one problem whilst creating another and just as a natural, non-toxic sunscreen can be beneficial when you know you're going to be exposed to excessive amounts of sunlight, sunglasses, too, have their place. But when used on a regular basis nothing good will come from this.
If you are already hooked on sunglasses and feel like the world is far too bright to be able to take them off, try getting up with the rising sun and spend some time outside with the light of the sunrise on your skin. This will kick-start your body for the day and help your eyes begin making the adjustment back to their natural state.
In the end the simplest solution is the safest. Moderate your time in the sun and if you are not able to do this, use your intuition and cover your exposed skin in a way that feels right to you.
Further Reading:
It's Time to Stop Perpetuating the Myth That Sunlight Causes Cancer
Meet the four eyed eight tentacled monopoly that is making your glasses so expensive
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