Helping Your Patients Choose the Right Sunscreen: An Infographic
Bottles of sunscreen may be a common sight at the beach or poolside on a sunny summer day. However, recent data indicate that most American adults do not use sunscreen regularly throughout the year, if at all.
Of 4033 US men and women who participated in the 2013 ConsumerStyles Survey, only approximately 14.3% of men and 29.9% of women use sunscreen on both the face and other exposed skin on a regular basis,1 despite current guideline recommendations to apply sunscreen to these areas daily.
Skin cancers are the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States, and although regular sunscreen use and other sun protection behaviors are known to help prevent skin cancer, survey data suggest that many patients may not know what factors to look for when choosing a sunscreen. Of the participants who reported sunscreen use, nearly 40% did not know whether their sunscreen provided broad-spectrum protection.1
These data show that educating and communicating with patients about sun safety is more important than ever. Below is a simple, printable infographic that you can give to your patients when talking with them about sun protection and the most important factors to look for when selecting a sunscreen.
References:
1. Holman DM, Berkowitz Z, Guy Jr GP, Hawkins NA, Saraiya M, Watson M. Patterns of sunscreen use on the face and other exposed skin among US adults. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015;73(1):83-92.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2015.02.1112.
2. How do I know if I’m using the right sunscreen? American Academy of Dermatology. https://www.aad.org/public/skin-hair-nails/skin-care/sunscreen. Accessed on December 26, 2018.
3. Skin cancer facts & statistics. Skin Cancer Foundation. Page last updated on May 3, 2018. https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts#general. Accessed on December 26, 2018.