Following the poor start to the summer, and now that sunshine and much warmer conditions are finally being predicted, Boots is urging people to take care whilst still in the UK in order to avoid getting sunburned. The warning comes in advance of the expected hot weather and in light of previous Boots research which revealed that whilst a staggering 60% of British sunburn cases occur on home turf, many Brits still believe that the UK sun is not dangerous, and never use sun protection except abroad. After the washout summer of 2007 and the gloomy winter, Boots fear Brits will peel off the layers and in a bid to soak up some over-due rays, become increasingly ‘slip, slap sloppy’. Despite the high incidence of sunburn whilst at home in the UK, half the population still thinks that skin cancer is only a worry in the UK if people regularly use sunbeds.

According to the figures from Boots an alarming one in eight (13%) never use sun protection in the UK. What’s more, a startling 23% of Brits, while out and about in the UK, believe they can safely stay in the midday sun on a clear day without protection for a roasting two hours or more.

Furthermore, one in ten of those surveyed claimed that British sunlight is not strong enough to cause skin cancer in any case. According to Skin Cancer Research UK, however, 75,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, and the midday British summer sunlight is certainly strong enough to contribute to the cause.

Boots suncare expert Mike Brown commented: “What’s clear from our research is that people underestimate the strength of the UK sun and the damage it can do. We are worried the nation will throw care aside at the first sight of sun and we are calling on them to remember to apply sun cream before they head out.”

About Boots
Boots is the UK’s leading retailer of health and beauty products, including sun lotion, as well as health information.

Via EPR Network
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