If you are looking for ways to encourage daily sunscreen use among your patients, the results of a consumer survey from dermatological company ISDIN may offer some guidance. For its consumer survey on sunscreen habits, the company collected data from a sample of more than 102,000 consumers in the U.S. and Europe. While half (50.3%) of the U.S. population is aware of the importance of sun protection and stated that they use sun protection during sun exposure, only 37% use sunscreen on a daily basis.
When looking at the motives behind using sunscreen, half of Americans use it for more aesthetic reasons, particularly with the objective of preventing sun spots and wrinkles (52%), followed by a worry of developing skin cancer (27%). Women tend to prefer using sunscreen for more aesthetic reasons (48%), while men prioritize the use of sunscreen for health reasons (44%).
"We see that people protect their skin the most during the summer months or when they sunbath, but daily sun protection is crucial," says Dendy Engelman, MD, FACMS, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologic surgeon. "UVB rays cause the typical sunburns we're more used to seeing during the summer, but UVA radiation, which is present year-round, causes skin aging, sun spots and more serious pathologies, such as skin cancer."
