UV light shows New Yorkers their true skin

If you think you don't have freckles, think again.

A British-American artist has used a camera that uses ultraviolet light to show New Yorkers just how damaging the sun can be to a person's skin.

In the disturbing video shot in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, subjects see in real-time how much impact ultraviolet light has on them.

The footage shot by Thomas Leveritt shows how looks of joy turn to looks of shock and horror as the UV light shows previously invisible changes to their skin.

"I found that people reacted so strongly and interestingly to seeing themselves in UV, I decided I should capture that," Leveritt told Co.Create.

Almost everybody featured in the video is absolutely covered in hidden freckles, with the older participants more affected than the youths.

But the most remarkable part of the video is the impact that sunscreen has when applied.

The video was posted on YouTube on Tuesday.