Queenslander highlights sun safety misconceptions after severe sunburn

It's one of the most common misconceptions when it comes to sun safety, and one Queenslander has found out the hard way.

Jake Wilson-Loose was spending the day at his family's home in Regency Downs, 70km west of Brisbane, helping out with a few tasks on their property. With plenty of clouds in the sky, Jake didn't think there was any need for sunscreen. But like many others before him, it proved a painful mistake.

"It's absolutely changed my attitude towards sun safety," he told Yahoo News Australia, revealing he checks the UV levels every day without fail now.

Jake, 29, was left with severe burns to his shoulders, which began "bubbling up" and needed antiseptic cream to avoid infection. While in hindsight, he knows he made a terrible oversight, he now wants to use his situation to remind others of the dangerous mistake.

Severe cases of sunburn are often well-documented when it's a backpacker from cooler climates, for example. And while Australia does push its sun safety education more than most, it's clear even locals aren't fully across all of the dangers.

"I wasn't aware that I could receive such severe burns despite clouds blocking the sun for most of the day," Jake said. He described his severe sunburn as a major "wake-up call".

'Extreme' threat on cloudy days

It's a misconception experts are trying to change. Skin cancer specialist Dr Priya Chagan says it's vital Australians are not lulled into a false sense of security.

"This summer, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a hot, rainy summer for many parts of Australia, which means that while you may not see the sun on overcast or rainy days, UV levels can be extreme," told Yahoo last month. The predicted UV index is included in the bureau's daily forecasts on its app and website for each location.

Severe sunburns increase your chance of skin cancer, Healthline warns, and Jake said the number of times he had heard of people having skin cancers cut out was "scarily too common".

While some Australians neglect sunscreen or adequate sun safety measures during overcast conditions, there is also the problem of people willingly doing so.

"Over the past two years, I've noticed a troubling shift on social media: a resurgence of young Australian women glorifying sun tanning," Belle, who lost her father to melanoma, told Yahoo News Australia.

Shocking statistics released by the Australian government in January revealed 74 per cent of young Australians between 18 and 30 believe their risk of getting skin cancer is unlikely. The reality is two in every three Australians will get skin cancer over their lifetimes, Dr Chagan says.