New Survey Reveals Americans’ Dangerous Sunscreen Habits And Underscores The Importance Of Protecting Your Skin This Summer
Did you know that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lifetime?
In fact, about nine thousand and five hundred U.S. adults are diagnosed with skin cancer every single day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Despite this reality, though, a new sun safety survey conducted by Advanced Dermatology revealed that Americans still are not properly protecting their skin.
In fact, only thirteen percent of people are committed to wearing sunscreen on their bodies most or all of the time.
Fifty-three percent of respondents said they “sometimes” apply sunscreen, and a whopping thirty-four percent admitted they rarely or never do.
Instead, most people appear to care more about protecting their face from the sun’s harmful rays than everything else.
After all, sun damage can lead to dark spots and wrinkles, which causes an earlier appearance of aging.
Women are pioneering this trend, with forty-four percent of U.S. women saying they always apply sunscreen on their face. Only fifteen percent of American men do the same.
However, it is crucial to remember that the sun does not discriminate. It not only will age the rest of your body, but over-exposure can lead to skin cancer in those unprotected spots.
Rido – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
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In fact, it takes less than twenty minutes of unprotected sun exposure for sun damage to occur.
So, be sure to generously apply before you head outside and also check your sunscreen’s expiration date.
Now, you might be thinking, “what expiration date?” If so, you are not alone.
Only forty-eight percent of Americans ever check their sunscreen’s expiration date, but the habit is imperative.
Sunscreen only has a shelf life of between two and three years.
So, if you have an old bottle of Banana Boat or Coppertone lying in your beach bag, it is best to throw it again immediately.
And while some people may think that all of this skin protection is a lot of effort to protect against a bit of sunburn, repeated burns can have severe implications.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they have had more than five sunburns.”
Moreover, if you ever experienced an extremely painful and blistering sunburn as a child or teenager, your chances have already more than doubled.
So, why risk it? Take a few minutes to apply every day, and be sure to make an appointment for your annual cancer screening.
And if you do, you will be a part of the only thirteen percent of Americans who get their skin checked every single year.
To read the survey’s complete findings and learn more about best sun protection habits, visit the link here.
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