Until now it was only considered a tourist habit, but more and more people are encouraged to use an umbrella to protect themselves from the sun. The fan or the cap are no longer enough in this third wave of summer heat. This week, a reader from La Vanguardia’s community of readers shared photographs she took of a woman with an umbrella under the sun in the cloister of the Pedralbes monastery in Barcelona. The reader assures that more and more people are seen with umbrellas or umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.
During the last few days, images of people protecting themselves from the sun with umbrellas have appeared: workers, tourists, pedestrians or the same commercials on La Rambla. In Valencia, for example, some municipal services that serve the public have umbrellas to temporarily lend to users when they have to queue at the door and it is raining or hot. Situations that have also been seen in other countries, such as Greece, where they had to close the Acropolis due to high temperatures.
The La Vanguardia reader cited a scientific article from Emory University in Atlanta (USA) on the use of umbrellas in summer. The report ensures that any type of umbrella helps to avoid more than three quarters of the ultraviolet (UV) rays of a sunny day. Although the model does not matter, for a few years umbrellas can be found on the market that claim to protect from UV rays. Of course, the price can easily reach 30 euros (or even more).
Although there are cultures in which the use of the umbrella is widely accepted, in our society there are sectors that still resist using this instrument to protect themselves from the sun’s rays. This is the case of the youngest and the male population. Other groups do often use fans and umbrellas as complements to their image. A paradigmatic case is the color they bring to the Pride parades. On the other hand, the ideal of beauty is still tanning (unlike in Asia) and avoiding the sun is not among the plans of some people.
The Valdepeñas town hall, in Ciudad Real, has placed dozens of umbrellas with different colors inspired by the work of Mondrian. It is an initiative that began in 2014 and that has become a tourist attraction. It is not the only town that does it and, then, there are others that opt ??for awnings on their streets.
Alba Català, a dermatologist at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, ??believes that umbrellas are an excellent option to protect yourself from the sun. She emphasizes that they are an economical, ecological alternative and that, if they are of a sufficient size, they cover practically the entire body.
In the investigation of the University of Emory (mentioned previously) it is affirmed that the umbrella that best protects is the one of black color. Català explains that this is due to the principle of refraction: the black color absorbs more heat than light colors. “In any case, as far as umbrellas are concerned, the most important thing is the material they are made of and not so much their color,” the dermatologist qualifies.
In this sense, Català stresses that for an umbrella to be considered anti-UV radiation it must be made and designed with materials that block UV rays. Also, he says it’s important that it be light, strong and have a large enough diameter. He adds that some come with special coatings that enhance their ability to block UV rays. “When buying an umbrella with these characteristics, it is important that it is properly certified,” he says.
Regarding the shaded areas, he thinks that, although it cannot be generalized, in Catalonia “it is not uncommon” to walk through squares or children’s play areas that do not have any type of sun protection, trees or covered areas. Elements that he considers essential “to be able to enjoy these areas during the hours of the day in which UV radiation hits with greater intensity.”
