Most of us think that if we’re applying sunscreen before we head outside, then we’ll be protected from harmful UV rays. However, that’s not the case and it’s not because you aren’t using a good brand name sunscreen.
Some of us slather on the recommended shot glass full of sunscreen before heading outdoors.
However, most of us don’t really pay full attention to where we’re putting our sunscreen on. That means missing a lot of parts of our skin and leaving ourselves exposed to powerful cancer-causing UV rays.
Here’s how one should generally apply sunscreen:
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have proof that people aren’t applying sunscreen correctly. Metro recently featured UV images that researchers took that show all the places on our face where we forget to apply sunscreen.
They shot some photos with a UV camera after their subjects applied sun screen. The black and white photos appear dark in the areas where sunscreen is applied.
The places where sunscreen wasn’t applied remain light and visible. There were 57 people who volunteered for the study which was presented by the British Association of Dermatologists’ Annual Conference.
The participants were asked to put on sunscreen as they normally would.
The results showed that the group as a whole missed a median of 9.5 percent of their faces.
Men who have beards were prone to missing a lot of their face, as you can tell from the photos. The area around one’s mouth was also a tricky place to fully cover with sunscreen.
The most common place that people neglected to put sunscreen was the area around their eyes.
Lots of people didn’t add sunscreen to their eyelids.
About three-quarters of the study participants didn’t apply sunscreen the medial canthal regions, which is known as the area between the bridge of the nose and the inner corner of the eye.
This area is known to be particularly susceptible for skin cancer. It’s where 5 to 10 percent of cancers occur.
After participants were given this information on their second visit, people still only applied slightly more sunscreen around their eyelids.
They continued to miss 7.7 percent of this area, as opposed to 13.5 percent of the area. The medial canthal was still completely missed.
The thing is that manufacturers recommend that people keep sunscreen away from their eyes so that they don’t tear up. So, the study recommends taking alternative measures to block the eye area from UV rays.
So, here are the key things you need to know about properly applying sunscreen:
- Make sure you’re using a broad spectrum sunscreen, this protects you from UV A and B radiation.
- Make sure you cover your entire face with sunscreen, even if you have a beard. You can watch this video tutorial for full details:
- If your sunscreen’s manufacturer warns to keep their product away from your eyes, then make sure you wear UV blocking sunglasses to prevent sun damage.
- Invest in a sun hat to shield yourself from the places you aren’t putting sunscreen on.
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