How much sun exposure is required to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D?
It has been estimated that fair skinned people can achieve adequate vitamin D levels in summer by exposing the face, arms and hands or the equivalent area of skin to a few minutes of sunlight on either side of the peak UV periods on most days of the week. In winter, in the southern regions of Australia where UV radiation levels are less intense, maintenance of vitamin D levels may require 2-3 hours of sunlight exposure to the face, arms and hands or equivalent area of skin over a week . It is important to be adequately protected from the sun, whenever the UV Index is 3 or more and particularly during peak UVR times.
