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Rays Your Sun Grade

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In a recent survey, (the first of-its-kind) the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) polled adults in 32 U.S. metropolitan regions spanning 29 states on their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on sun protection.

Miami was ranked number 3 .

This year alone approximately 59,940 people will be diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Of those cases, 8,110 will result in death. Additionally, more than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure. Unlike other forms of cancer, the vast majority of skin cancer can be prevented.

Using proper UV protection is key, however most Americans neglect to do so. In fact, a person’s risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns in a lifetime, usually before the age of 18. Skin cancer has become a public health concern, a silent but deadly killer that is far too common. What’s worse, people are not being educated enough to know why.

The A, B, C’s of SPF:

-The sun protection factor or SPF measures how much protection a sunscreen offers against a sunburn.

-UVB rays are the burning rays that cause a sunburn.

-UVA rays are the aging rays that penetrate deeper into the skin, contributing to immune suppression, extracellular matrix degradation and premature skin aging.

-Short wave UVA rays are present all year round, pass through clouds and glass, cause premature aging and can ultimately lead to skin cancer.

-The UVA protection can vary widely between products having the same SPF.

-Many broad-spectrum sunscreens DO NOT provide high AND photostable protection against UVA rays.

-PFA is the measure of UV protection used to determine a sunscreen product’s protective value. It is the clinical measurement recommended by the AAD to the FDA for assessing a labeling UVA protection.

Choosing the BEST Protection

With an abundant amount of sun protection products to choose from, finding the right one can be difficult. Fortunately, brands like Neutrogena and Aveeno have set themselves apart from the competition offering the most complete and effective sun protection on the market today. Neutrogena’s breakthrough sun protection technology complex, called Helioplex, is specifically engineered to deliver very high, very broad and photostable UV protection across the entire UVA and UVB regions without any gap. Aveeno products contain the same sun-protection technology under the name Active Photobarrier Complex. Additionally, Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Sunblock SPF 70 with Helioplex has the highest level of broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection available in the United States today.

PHOTO: Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Sunblock SPF 70 with Helioplex.