Maybe you’re not using as good a sunscreen as you think

Statistics from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) indicate that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that 20% of Americans will get skin cancer at some point in their lives. They further note that about 9,500 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer every day.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that skin cancer is caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, lights, or tanning beds. UV rays can damage the skin, often in the form of sunburn. As damage builds up over time, people can age prematurely or even develop skin cancer. It can also lead to cataracts, a condition where vision can be blurry and blurry.

However, a new survey just released by the AAD shows that many Americans are still confused about the risks associated with tanning. And people don’t practice sunscreen as well as they think

When the AAD surveyed more than 1,000 American adults, survey respondents gave themselves high marks for sun protection, most saying it’s more important to them than it was 5 years ago. five.

62% of respondents rate themselves as “excellent” for sun protection in 2021. 63% said they have already tanned – up 9% since 2020. In addition, a third of those respondents said they had experienced sunburn, an increase of 8% since 2020.

However, Dr. Mark D. Kaufmann, president of the AAD, says if you get a tan it shows you’re not doing a good job of protecting yourself.

“There is no such thing as a safe tan,” explains Mark. “Every time you get a tan or burn, you’re also damaging the DNA in your skin.”

The survey also revealed a number of misconceptions and problems when using sunscreen correctly. 67% of survey respondents mistakenly believe that SPF 30 sunscreen is twice as protective as SPF 15. In fact, SPF (sun protection factor) is not linear. SPF 15 blocks 93% of UV rays while SPF 30 blocks 97% – just 4% more protection.

43% of people also said they were not aware that shade can provide UV protection. Additionally, 65% said they often forget to reapply sunscreen.

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