Wrinkle Index

Check the sun's current photoaging power in your area





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Exposure to the sun's UV-A rays is a primary factor for signs of visible aging, including wrinkles.

In addition to photo-aging, UV-A rays also contribute to melanoma and other skin cancers.

The Wrinkle Index uses a proprietary algorithm to compute a real-time location-based strength metric of UV-A radiation, which contributes to visible signs of aging and to skin cancer.

UV-A and Skin CANCER

There is quite good evidence that UV‐A is carcinogenic. Furthermore, this is in accordance with a new hypothesis for melanoma induction, which proposes that radiation absorbed by the melanin in melanocytes generates products that may activate the carcinogenic process. This is thought to be true especially for UV‐A since it penetrates the skin deeper than UV‐B.

Westerdahl J, Ingvar C, Mâsbäck A, Olsson H. Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma. Int J Cancer. 2000 Jul 1;87(1):145-50. doi: 10.1002/1097-0215(20000701)87:1<145::aid-ijc22>3.0.co;2-3. PMID: 10861466.

Solar radiation is carcinogenic to humans. UV radiation (including UVA, UVB, and UVC) is carcinogenic to humans.

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of World Health Organization (WHO)

Second, it has become increasingly clear that UVA1 is not photochemically or biologically inactive, and that UVA1 is a potent inducer of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are thought to play a role in skin cancer.

Tewari A, Grage MM, Harrison GI, Sarkany R, Young AR. UVA1 is skin deep: molecular and clinical implications. Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2013 Jan;12(1):95-103. doi: 10.1039/c2pp25323b. PMID: 23192740.

UV-A and photoaging

In recent years, the detrimental effects of UVA radiation were more precisely demonstrated at cellular and molecular levels.... The major visible damaging effects of UVA radiation only appear after years of exposure: it has been clearly evidenced that they are responsible for more or less early signs of photoageing and photocarcinogenesis.

Battie, Claire et al. “New insights in photoaging, UVA induced damage and skin types.” Experimental dermatology vol. 23 Suppl 1 (2014): 7-12. doi:10.1111/exd.12388

Ultraviolet radiations (UV) are the primary causative agent for skin aging (photoaging) and cancer, especially UV-A.

Prasanth, Mani Iyer et al. “Ultraviolet-A triggers photoaging in model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in a DAF-16 dependent pathway.” Age (Dordrecht, Netherlands) vol. 38,1 (2016): 27. doi:10.1007/s11357-016-9889-y

Exposure to UVA is of particular concern because the UVA energy reaching the earth’s surface 90-99% of the total, UVA passes through glass, and only decreases by 50% in winter. Further, UVA radiation causes DNA damage, such as CPD and 8-OHdG and induces photoaging as mentioned earlier.

Masamitsu Ichihashi, Hideya Ando, Masaki Yoshida, Yoko Niki, Mary Matsui, Photoaging of the skin, ANTI-AGING MEDICINE, 2009, Volume 6, Issue 6, Pages 46-59.

the algorithm considers

Time of Day

The strength of the UV-A radiation varies throughout the day, peaking in the middle of the day. While sunburn power (UV-B strength) varies considerably during the day, UV-A radiation varies much less; there is a decent amount of UV-A radiation present during all daylight hours.

Latitude

We use the latitude information from your zip code to help determine the UV-A strength. While higher latitudes may appear less sunny, and may have slightly lower Wrinkle Index values, these locations still get plenty of UV-A radiation - enough to seriously wrinkle the skin.

Time of Year

There certainly is seasonal variation in the strength of the UV-A radiation hitting your city. However, even during the winter, there is sufficient radiation present to cause skin damage.

UV-A vs UV-B Radiation

UV-B

"The Burning Ray"

Ultraviolet-B radiation is the UV radiation you've probably heard most about. It is known primarily for causing sunburn and can also cause DNA damage and skin cancer. UV-B level is very affected by the time of day and is also reduced by cloud cover. A sunscreen's SPF refers primarily to its protection against UV-B.

UV-A

"The Aging Ray"

Ultraviolet-A radiation is primarily known for aging the skin. It is also the ray responsible for tanning the skin. More recently, we also know UV-A to be linked to melanoma and other skin cancers. As research emerged on the damaging power of UV-A, the Broad-Spectrum labeling of sunscreen was created to indicate protection against UV-A rays as well. Because clouds only reduce UV-A radiation somewhat, it is important to wear sunscreen even when it's cloudy. Unlike UV-B rays, UV-A rays penetrate windows quite well, doing damage even while you are inside.

UV Index vs Wrinkle Index

UV Index

The UV Index is a metric for the strength of sunburn-producing radiation. It is an important tool to help avoid sun burns. The UV index considers both UV-B and UV-A radiation levels but heavily weights UV-B. Therefore, it is not the best metric of the current strength of wrinkle-inducing UV-A radiation.

Wrinkle Index

The Wrinkle Index is a new index measuring the strength of UV-A radiation in your area. Its values range from Low/Zero to High. A higher value means more exposure to UV-A radiation which contributes to photoaging of the skin and is also a risk factor for melanoma and other skin cancers. You may find occasionally that the UV index is low but that the Wrinkle Index is high. This is a good reminder to apply sunscreen.

Neat Tool... What Now?

Check the Wrinkle Index

Before going outside, check the current Wrinkle Index level. Remember your eyes may deceive you. It may look a little cloudy, but the Wrinkle Index still might be a Medium High!

Wear Sunscreen

The higher the Wrinkle Index, the more important sunscreen will be for helping prevent those wrinkles. It is important that the sunscreen is broad-spectrum, indicating it has UV-A protection in the addition to the standard UV-B radiation protection measured by the SPF.

Tell Your Friends

Share the Wrinkle Index with your loved ones and skincare-obsessed friends so that they too can be aware of when to best protect themselves from the sun, preventing wrinkles and reducing chances of skin cancer.

TLDR: Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen pretty much all day every day (even when it's cloudy or UV Index is low) if you want to prevent new wrinkles.