Sun UVB vitamin D lamp - cheap and cheerful DIY

InfiniteRubix

InfiniteRubix

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
There are many fake and extremely low quality uvb lamps available on the market. And good quality ones for people are extremely expensive in my experience

But there is a DIY alternative...

There are a handful of brands specific to the zoological market for reptiles, which are dependable, because otherwise zoos, pet shops and pet owners will see animals die.

The following is is a good example from one of the two good zoological brands. It screws into a standard e27 large screw bulb holder, and you can just put a mirror behind it to get your money's worth, as uvb reflects.

It will need replacing every 9 to 12-months.

This is 10% UVB, serious desert levels.

Don't use it for more than a few minutes, because it is the same as a suntanning parlour bulb and will burn you or will give you cancer if you use it all the time!!!!

Time it with a clock!

Stop if your skin feels sore!

Don't stare into it either!

https://www.reptilecentre.com/zoo-med-reptisun-100-mini-compact-13w_p31019535.htm
 
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InfiniteRubix said:
Don't use it for more than a few minutes, because it is the same as a suntanning parlour bulb and will burn you or will give you cancer if you use it all the time!!!!
Click to expand...


  • UVB penetrates and damages the outermost layers of your skin. Overexposure causes suntan, sunburn and, in severe cases, blistering.
  • UVB is connected to the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) on labels of sunscreen products. The SPF number tells you how long the sun’s radiation (including some of the UVA) would take to redden your skin when using that product compared to the time without sunscreen.
  • UVB intensity fluctuates. While the sun’s rays are strongest and pose the highest risk late-morning to mid-afternoon from spring to fall in temperate climates and even greater timespans in tropical climates, UVB rays can damage your skin year-round, especially at high altitudes or on reflective surfaces like snow or ice.
  • UVB rays can be filtered and do not penetrate glass.
UVA facts and risks
  • UVA rays cause tanning, and the shorter wavelengths of UVA also cause sunburn. There is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan. UVA radiation is proven to contribute to the development of skin cancer.
  • UVA is connected to the “broad-spectrum protection” you see on the labels of sunscreen products. Early sunscreens only protected your skin from UVB rays, but once it was understood how dangerous UVA rays were, sunscreen manufacturers began adding ingredients to protect you from both UVB and UVA across this broader spectrum.
  • UVA rays, while slightly less intense than UVB, penetrate your skin more deeply. Exposure causes genetic damage to cells on the innermost part of your top layer of skin, where most skin cancers occur. The skin tries to prevent further damage by darkening, resulting in a tan. Over time, UVA also leads to premature aging and skin cancer.
  • UVA radiation is the main type of light used in most tanning beds. Once thought to be safe, we now know it is just the opposite.
  • UVA is everywhere. UVA accounts for up to 95 percent of the UV radiation reaching the earth. These rays maintain the same level of strength during daylight hours throughout the year. This means that during a lifetime, we are all exposed to a high level of UVA rays.
  • UVA can penetrate windows and cloud cover.
Click to expand...
https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/uv-radiation/

eta:
InfiniteRubix said:
Strong UVB on all the time will change your colour
Click to expand...
UVA activates melanin pigment already present in the upper skin cells. It creates a tan that appears quickly but is also lost quickly. Furthermore, UVA penetrates into the deeper skin layers, where connective tissue and blood vessels are affected. As a result the skin gradually loses its elasticity and starts to wrinkle. Therefore, large doses of UVA cause premature ageing. Furthermore, recent studies strongly suggest that it may enhance the development of skin cancers. The mechanisms of this UVA damage are not fully understood, but a popular hypothesis assumes that UVA increases oxidative stress in the cell.

UVB stimulates the production of new melanin, which leads to a heavy increase in the dark-coloured pigment within a few days. This tan may last a relatively long time. UVB also stimulates the cells to produce a thicker epidermis. Therefore, UVB is responsible both for the darkening and thickening of the outer cell layers – these reactions are the body's defence against further UV damage
Click to expand...

https://www.who.int/uv/faq/uvhealtfac/en/
 
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Sly Saint said:
https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/uv-radiation/
Click to expand...
Thank you - important context. I should have also said use a clock to not over do it. I do two to three minutes on hands or face usually.

Many people don't get enough sunshine nowadays, due to social changes and/or geographic location. And then there are pwME...

We're at the point were public health advice in the UK is even starting to warn parents not to suntan lotion their children at every opportunity outside peak seasons, not because they shouldn't take extreme care in summer sun, but because the pendulum risks swinging the other way now, depriving kids of sunshine.

An impossible balancing act in terms of public health messaging, and I can see the risk management leaning towards catering towards assuming lowest common denominators.
 
I have an SAD lamp. I bought it years ago & used it as recommended but no beneficial effect.

Mind you I am very pale and never tan, just burn. Summer is my worst time of year.

The lamp comes in handy when IM works from home. The room all his stuff is in is the darkest in the house with north facing window so he switches the lamp on and leaves it in a corner.
 
Invisible Woman said:
I have an SAD lamp. I bought it years ago & used it as recommended but no beneficial effect.

Mind you I am very pale and never tan, just burn. Summer is my worst time of year.

The lamp comes in handy when IM works from home. The room all his stuff is in is the darkest in the house with north facing window so he switches the lamp on and leaves it in a corner.
Click to expand...

I think these are different though, UVA if I remember correctly... but definitely not UVB. SAD lights can be left on for a long time as a result. Strong UVB on all the time will change your colour then maybe kill you.... It must be dosed.
 
InfiniteRubix said:
There are many fake and extremely low quality uvb lamps available on the market. And good quality ones for people are extremely expensive in my experience

But there is a DIY alternative...

There are a handful of brands specific to the zoological market for reptiles, which are dependable, because otherwise zoos, pet shops and pet owners will see animals die.

The following is is a good example from one of the two good zoological brands. It screws into a standard e27 large screw bulb holder, and you can just put a mirror behind it to get your money's worth, as uvb reflects.

It will need replacing every 9 to 12-months.

This is 10% UVB, serious desert levels.

Don't use it for more than a few minutes, because it is the same as a suntanning parlour bulb and will burn you or will give you cancer if you use it all the time!!!!

Time it with a clock!

Stop if your skin feels sore!

Don't stare into it either!

https://www.reptilecentre.com/zoo-med-reptisun-100-mini-compact-13w_p31019535.htm
Click to expand...

£14-20 depending where you get them. Instead of hundreds.

I've used this for a long time now.
 
InfiniteRubix said:
I think these are different though, UVA if I remember correctly... but definitely not UVB. SAD lights can be left on for a long time as a result. Strong UVB on all the time will change your colour then maybe kill you.... It must be dosed.
Click to expand...

I'd probably best steer clear then. Ive been known to get burnt just staggering to the washing line and back. In England, in April. :rolleyes:
 
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