We are frequently asked to sign waivers for the DMV to allow patients to have a darker tint on their vehicle windows. However, this is mostly inappropriate. Tinted windows only make the interior of your car darker by decreasing the amount of visible light that passes through the glass. Decreasing visible light will decrease your visibility while driving. It’s not hard to connect the dots from lower visibility to longer reaction times and increased danger.
When it comes to increased risk of skin cancer, visible light is not the culprit, Ultraviolet light is. UVC is considered the most dangerous of wavelengths, but mercifully it is blocked by the ozone layer (yay!) making UVB the most carcinogenic of the wavelengths we are most exposed to. However, regular glass blocks out UVB (another yay!) UVA does contribute to the accumulated DNA damage our skin cells endure, but as it is not in the visible spectrum, there are clear films that can be applied to the windows of your car. This solves the problem of increased protection, while not inhibiting your visibility while driving (a win-win!).
So, in order to protect yourself, and those unknowing teen drivers and rambunctious children running around that you might inflict damage upon, check one of these recommended retail providers listed on the skin cancer foundation website! Any automotive shop should be able to apply these clear tints that don't require a doctor's note as they don't impact your visibility. Win-win!
https://www.skincancer.org/recommended-products/
The exception to people who would in fact benefit from blocking visible light would be those patients with connective tissue disease that increases their sensitivity to all light spectrums. If this is the case, and daily SPF is not cutting the mustard, give us a visit and we will do all we can to help you!
