With lots of summer activities to enjoy in the coming months, Pearl River County residents should remember to protect their skin from the damaging rays of the sun.
Even though there have been years of research documenting the correlation between exposure to the sun and skin cancer, Reuters reports that the majority of Americans still don’t use sunscreen.
The report found men are far less likely to use the product to protect their skin from the sun’s damaging rays. The reason was because sunscreen is looked at as a product for women.
Keep in mind that these results are based on an online survey conducted in 2013 comprised of 4,000 respondents. That survey found only 18 percent of the male population use sunscreen on their face, while 43 percent of women said they use the product to protect their faces.
As for other areas of exposed skin, the results were largely the same, 20 percent of men reported using sunscreen to protect other exposed skin, while 34 percent of women said the same.
Close to half of the respondents were unable to say how strong their sunscreen is.
In the story, it was reported that the number of melanoma cases has risen sharply from 1975 to 2008. The figures from the National Cancer Institute reflect that in 1975 there were 8.7 cases per 100,000 people, but in 2008 there were 27.6 cases per 100,000 people.
These statistics reflect a need to protect people’s skin from prolonged exposure to the sun.
Sunscreen is not the only option. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests using shade during the midday, utilizing clothing that protects as much of the body as possible, wearing a hat with a brim capable of casting shade on the face and wearing sunglasses.
Another way to reduce the risk of skin cancer is to resist the urge to employ indoor tanning. The CDC reports that indoor tanning is just as dangerous, if not more so, than tanning under the sun.