SUN PROTECTION PROVIDED BY LADIES STOCKINGS

Bowen's disease, squamous and basal cell carcinoma, and malignant mela noma occur more frequently on the lower leg of women compared with men , presumably because of increased solar ultraviolet radiation (WR) exp osure as a consequence of dress. While it is apparent from simple obse rvation that stockings are transparent to light, systematic data on UV transmission through stockings are lacking. The purpose of this study was to measure the spectral transmission of WR through a range of thi ckness and colours of plain-knit ladies stockings, and to use these da ta to calculate the sun protection factor (SPF). We found that SPFs in creased from about 1.5 to 3.0 for black stockings ranging from 10 to 4 0 denier; there were statistically significant differences in SPFs wit h colour (higher for darker colours) and site (higher at the distal ca lf than at the proximal calf); and for every colour and denier of stoc king tested, WA and UVB were absorbed equally We conclude that the mos t popular type of stocking (15 denier) provides an SPF of less than 2, and that women who require photoprotection to the legs be advised to wear trousers or at least a 40 denier stocking.