A new survey in the JAMA Dermatology medical journal suggests only 43 per cent of people actually know what the sun protection factor (SPF) label on a bottle of sunscreen represents.
SPF generally refers to how long someone can theoretically stay in the sun with sunscreen protecting his or her skin.
This survey also suggests how few people know the difference between ultraviolet A (UV-A) rays and ultraviolet B (UV-B) rays.
According to the same study, UV-A radiation is known to accelerate skin aging, while UV-B rays are what give you sunburns.
Exposure to both types of radiation is a major risk factor in skin cancer development.
Most dermatologists recommend buying a water-resistant SPF 30 sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection (from both UV-A and UV-B rays) and being diligent in re-applying about a shot glass worth of sunscreen to exposed areas of skin every two hours.
The reason for these preventative measures is to try and avoid contraction of skin cancer, which can come in its deadliest form of melanoma with the exposure of skin to too many UV rays.
A 2014 study from the Canadian Cancer Society estimated that roughly 6,800 Canadians would be diagnosed with melanoma during the 2015 year, while about 1,150 melanoma sufferers will die from the condition in 2015.
These sunscreen measures may not guarantee someone from not getting skin cancer, but they will certainly help protect your skin from unnecessary damage.
JAMA said in the study that sun avoidance was better than sun protection when it comes to skin cancer prevention.
Sun yourself smartly this summer!
