Posted by Upstate Dermatology on Jun.21.15 in Skin Care
Think applying sunscreen to your own back is easy?
Did you know that research has shown that the back is the most common location for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer? Who has your back when it comes to skin cancer prevention and detection?
According to a survey from the American Academy of Dermatology, 37 percent of people rarely or never apply sunscreen to their back when it’s exposed to the sun. Forty-three percent of respondents rarely or never ask someone else to help them apply sunscreen to their back and men were twice as likely as women to report that they wouldn’t feel comfortable asking anyone to apply sunscreen to their back.*
Ask friends or a loved one for help next time your back is exposed to the sun. Remember to generously apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 to all exposed skin. “Broad-spectrum” provides protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet (UVB) rays.
* The survey was conducted by Relevant Research Inc. of Chicago from Jan. 12 to 15, 2015. A total of 1,019 respondents completed the online survey. Data were weighted by sex, age, race/ethnicity and income according to the 2013 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for adults ages 18-64. The margin of sampling error at the 95 percent confidence level is ± 3.1 percent.
