Singapore has one of the highest UV indexes in the world, and skin cancer cases have been rising steadily over the past decade. Despite this, men still seem to avoid sunscreen like the plague.
Here are 6 commonly heard reasons excuses men give when you try to get them to put on sunscreen.
1. “It’s SO uncomfortable…” “Don’t want laaa, sunscreen is so sticky and oily!”
Most guys seem to absolutely hate the feeling of something on their skin. Moisturizer, aftershave, and the one particular skincare product they’ll go out of the way to shun is…sunscreen – even if they’re out in the sun for long hours doing outdoor sports!
2. “A bit of sun won’t kill me, what do you think I am?”
*proceeds to break a baseball bat with his manly beard to show off his manliness*
How did putting on sunscreen to prevent a sunburn ever become associated with an effeminate behavior? Protecting yourself from the sun is a gender-neutral and completely necessary measure to protect yourself from skin cancer and premature ageing! It is not a fight against the sun, and definitely not a test of how manly you are.
3. “It’s okay, I have been burnt so many times that my skin is BEYOND RESCUE”
There is no such thing as too late. According to Dr. Lim Kar Seng, a senior dermatologist consultant from The Dermatology Practice, “it is never too late to practise sun protection. You may not be able to reverse previous damage, but you can always prevent further sun damage.” Don’t wait until it’s too late to start protecting your skin!
“4. “I don’t burn.”
Sure you don’t.
But then you come back looking like…
And even if you reaaally don’t burn, UV exposure can also cause wrinkles and sunspots, and wearing sunscreen is your best defense.
5. “What’s a man without his tan?”
There are many ways of judging whether or not a man is, indeed…manly and skin color shouldn’t be it. After all, what could be sexier than a man who takes control…of his health?
6. “Sunscreen doesn’t work on me.”
Major face palm bro, you’re probably not doing it right.
If you think you won’t get burnt from a whole day of outdoor activity, just because you rub a really thin layer of some SPF15 that’s been rolling around at home since 2009 without reapplication, then you think wrong! To prevent getting a raging sunburn, you have to reapply every hour or so – especially if you’ll be sweating profusely.
—
It is time for an intervention, and four girls from Nanyang Technological University are trying to do just that. They kickstarted Cover a Brother, Singapore’s first sun protection campaign that solely targets men, following research that shows a disparity between young males and females when it comes to sun protective behavior. Aiming to spread the messages of sun protection and skin cancer prevention among young men through peer advocacy, by encouraging men to remind one another to protect themselves from the sun.
Ladies, let the men in your life know the importance of wearing sunscreen. Men, remember to protect yourself from the sun whenever you’re out in the day, and remind your bros to do so as well!
—
Website: http://www.coverabrother.com (best viewed on desktop)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
