Persuading Men To Wear Sunscreen

Getting men to use sunscreen is a huge challenge and one that the women in their life should more than encourage them to do.

Men should ask themselves this question: What is the most important thing in your golf bag? Is it the $400 driver you got last Christmas, a scoring pencil with an eraser, or a bottle of sunscreen? For golfers, who are at greater risk of developing skin cancer because of their prolonged exposure to sun, the answer should be obvious. But I will bet if we took a survey right now and all women went snooping in their husband's golf bag, very few would find sunscreen. A golfer who tees off at 10 a.m. will be playing during the hours of the day when the sun is at its hottest.

UV stands for Ultraviolet, a portion of the light spectrum that is beyond the violet light that we can see with our eyes. Most UV radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer or reflected back into space. There are three kinds of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA light fades colors in plastics and clothes as well as contributes to smog. UVB radiation is mostly absorbed by ozone, but the amount that makes it through can cause damage to the DNA molecules in living cells. UVC light is very dangerous, but it is all blocked by the sun's atmosphere. So we must be concerned with UVA and B radiation, mainly UVB radiation.

When UVB light damages DNA, our cells might not work right. Sometimes this makes the cells grow uncontrollably, a condition called cancer, specifically melanoma. UVB light also damages the tissue in our eyes.

There are many ways to block UV light. They include: sunscreen, long sleeves and pants, wide brimmed hats, sunglasses and staying in the shade. Glass in windows transmits less than 10% of sunburning UV light.

I see very view men on the golf course in wide brimmed hats and long sleeve shirts. So their significant other must encourage (make) them use sunscreen! Approximately 30 minutes before going outdoors, "encourage" your man to put on a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, even on cloudy days. Clouds don't protect the skin from sun damage. Only sunscreen can do that. Use lots of sunscreen and rub it in well.

Do your family a favor and encourage your dad, husband, sons, brothers, nephews and uncles to wear sunscreen! This will be the best present you can give them.