Does Driving Make One Side of Your Face Age Faster?

Why can regular driving leave the window-facing side of the face more sun-damaged? Learn how UVA passes through vehicle glass, why side windows offer less consistent protection, and how to reduce cumulative exposure.

Before revealing the answer, let’s first look at a short story:

There was a man in his sixties. One side of his face was noticeably sunken and sagging, and covered with wrinkles, while the other side was relatively firmer. It was as though the same face had ‘grown’ two different ages.

After an in-person consultation at the hospital, the problem was finally identified: he was a truck driver who had spent decades delivering goods by vehicle. The side of his face next to the window had been exposed to sunlight and ultraviolet radiation for a long time, resulting in more severe photoaging. (This real case was also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM.) [1]

So the answer is: driving. (Friends who regularly travel by car, please keep reading—this is also somewhat relevant to you.)

Many car owners think that because they are inside a car, rather than standing under the sun, the ultraviolet radiation should already be blocked, right?

Is that really the case?

Ultraviolet Radiation That Penetrates Glass

The ultraviolet radiation that reaches the ground mainly includes UVA and UVB: