See the patterns of sunscreen use on the face and other exposed skin among US adults report by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

TIME (5/20, Sifferlin) reports that “research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology shows that many Americans aren’t protecting their skin as much as they should.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “researchers…asked people how often they use sunscreen when out in the sun for over an hour and only 14% of men said they regularly slathered on sunscreen.” The study found that “women, at 30%, were twice as diligent about putting on sunscreen—while men were more likely than women to report never using sunscreen.”

In the Washington Post (5/19, Bernstein) “To Your Health” blog, Lenny Bernstein writes, “The numbers are a little better when researchers asked about the face alone: 42.6 percent of women say they regularly protect their faces, while 18.1 percent of men say they do.” Bernstein adds, “One in five people will develop skin cancer in his or her lifetime and a broad spectrum sunscreen, which protects from UVA and UVB rays, is the best way to prevent it. Use SPF 15 or greater, and don’t count on sunscreen alone, said Dawn Holman, a behavioral scientist for the CDC’s division of cancer prevention and control, because it wears off.”

HealthDay (5/20, Myers) reports that the research “also found that nearly 40 percent of sunscreen users were unsure whether their sunscreen provided broad-spectrum protection.”

Medscape (5/20, Kelly) reports that in a news release, AAD president Mark Lebwohl, MD, said, “Anyone can get skin cancer, so everyone should take steps to protect themselves from the sun. The Academy recommends everyone choose a sunscreen with a label that states it is broad-spectrum, has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and is water-resistant.”