It was 82 degrees Fahrenheit on a recent afternoon, and the UV index reached 11 across Israel, prompting the Israel Meteorological Service to urge the public to avoid direct sun exposure during peak hours.

But for 16-year-old Abigail Wolf, it was the best time to go out and tan on the beach in Shavei Zion, Western Galilee.

“People say, you shouldn’t go out when it’s a 10 or 11,” Wolf told The Times of Israel as she sat on the shoreline. “But when I see a 10 or an 11 on the index, that’s when I go out for about 40 minutes to get a better tan.”

Scientists created the UV Index in 1992 as a public safety tool to minimize the risk of UV radiation, which causes sunburn, tissue damage and skin cancer. The numerical scale starts at zero, indicating a low risk of UV radiation, with 11 or higher indicating a very high risk of harm.

Today, the index has gone viral on social media in Israel and around the world, but not in the way the scientists intended — people use it as a guide for when they can achieve the best bronzing.

“In the past two years, I see a very concerning trend among young adults and teens who check the index and then go out in the sun when the index is nine or above,” said Dr. Efrat Bar-Ilan, senior pediatric dermatologist at Israel’s largest public provider, Clalit Health Services. “They know UV radiation is bad, but they cannot comprehend the long-term risk to their health. They just want the instant tan, the instant glow. Everyone wants to be tan.”

How does the skin get tan?

When UV radiation penetrates the skin, Bar-Ilan said, it triggers melanocytes, the specialized cells that create melanin, which is the dark pigment responsible for tanning.

Bar-Ilan said that tanning is caused mostly by UVA rays, the long-wave rays that darken the pigment already in the skin.

However, UVB rays, which are shorter waves, penetrate the upper layers of the skin, causing sunburn and damaging the skin’s cellular DNA.

“We all........

© The Times of Israel