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    Sun Protection

    The not-so secret women golfers know that would help men play better, longer

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    Updated on August 01, 2024
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    Attention, gentlemen: with rising temperatures and longer days, this PSA is especially crucial for you. A recent study conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology found a significant discrepancy in sun-protection education between men and women surveyed, a pattern that could help to explain the rising cases of melanoma, the most-serious form of skin cancer, in men. Athletes and outdoors-lovers are especially at risk due to harmful UV exposure, particularly during the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s angle is at its most intense.

    For example, only half of men surveyed knew that a “base tan” does not protect you from re-exposure, and that there is no such thing as a safe tan—any kind of discoloration is skin damage and increases your risk for developing skin cancers. (For comparison, three out of four women surveyed knew both of these life-altering facts.) Similarly, only one out of every two male participants knew that skin cancer can even develop in areas not as routinely exposed to sun. Which goes to show you that preventative measures, including properly-applied sunscreen, sun shirts, hats, and sunglasses, are all part of a healthy, sustainable, holistic approach to staying safe in the sun in addition to drinking plenty of fluids and limiting peak time exposure (hello early evening tee times!).

    To help you protect yourself and the ones you love, we’ve rounded up some easy, practical solutions to sun safety to add to your routine, now.