Fun In The Sun? Water No Barrier To Getting Burned

Online, July 28, 2010 (Newswire.com) - New research carried out in the UK and New Zealand has revealed that a shocking 79% of people still labour under the misapprehension that you are less likely to get burned if you're in water, be it the sea or a swimming pool. Scientific evidence shows that water provides absolutely no barrier to the sun's damaging rays and in fact can increase the risk of damage as sun cream is washed off.

The research, carried out for the new edition of MyFaceMyBody (www.myfacemybody.com), Britain's only TV programme dedicated to cosmetic treatments and surgery, also compared attitudes between New Zealand and the UK towards sun protection. Findings include:

• 93% of people from the southern hemisphere said they were concerned about skin cancer when exposing their bodies to the sun, compared to only 63% of people in the northern hemisphere.

• New Zealanders are far more aware of sun protection than us Brits - only 65% of people in the UK wear the recommended SPF 30 on their face and SPF 15 on their body; in New Zealand 77% of people wear SPF 30 on their body and SPF 50 on their face.

• A quarter of people in both the UK and New Zealand admitted they didn't understand what the terms 'UVA' and 'UVB' mean, or their importance when choosing the correct sun protection lotions.

• When asked what they do to protect themselves and their families from sun damage, 89% of Brits said they used sunscreen and 65% wear a hat but only 23% of people cover up with light clothing. Luckily only 4% of those questioned use no sun protection at all.

• Of those over 50 who took part in the survey, 62% said that in their younger days they had used lemon juice, cooking oil and tin foil to increase their tan but almost half (47%) said they would not have used these methods if they'd known then how damaging the sun can be.

The survey was conducted among 414 people (approximately half in each country) using street interviews, online surveys and focus groups.

The full results will be revealed and discussed on the latest edition of MyFaceMyBody on Tuesday 27 July at 7.30pm on Information TV (Sky Channel 166 and Freesat 402). The episode will be repeated on Thursdays at 3pm and Sundays at 6.30pm as well as being re-shown every Tuesday at the same time. Viewers can also catch the programme, see previous episodes and chat with the experts on www.myfacemybody.com.

MyFaceMyBody presenter and producer Stephen Handisides, a New Zealander himself, wanted to return to his homeland to compare the difference between New Zealand and his adopted homeland in the UK. Stephen says he was shocked by some of the results:

"Having grown up in New Zealand where sun protection is taken very seriously indeed, I was surprised when I first moved to Britain at how lax many people are about the dangers posed by the suns rays, and these survey results have confirmed some of my worst fears. It appears that Britain has a lot to learn from New Zealand in terms of looking after their own and their family's skin."

"The lack of awareness about the fact that water has absolutely no sun-protection properties is particularly worrying, with people putting their skin at risk when they swim or enjoy watersports. At least Brits are no longer basting themselves with cooking oil or lemon juice to boost their tans. Now they need to make sure they understand the importance of high-factor SPF creams to stay safe in the sun."

ENDS

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