AS WE REDISCOVER THE JOYS OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS, A CALL TO ARMS IS ISSUED TO MEN; YOU'RE ALMOST TWICE AS LIKELY AS WOMEN TO DIE OF SKIN CANCER. PROTECT YOURSELF.

Temperatures are soaring, gyms are closed, and social distancing measures are beginning to shift allowing us to enjoy more time outside. For many, that involves sports, working out and responsible recreation at the park, beach or even just an extended walk with the dog. While it's important we keep healthy and happy; the facts can’t be ignored; men are almost twice as likely as women to die of skin cancer and by 2040, male skin cancer cases are forecast to increase by 90%, according to the World Health Organisation

Now, a new men’s brand, LifeJacket Skin Protection, is working in collaboration with Melanoma UK, on the #GotYourBack campaign to ensure men go outside and do what they love - safely. Founded by three men who watched several of their young male friends deal with cancer diagnoses, the brand was created with one mission – to stop men dying of skin cancer. LifeJacket Skin Protection was delighted to be chosen by Melanoma UK as their official partner. We have been working together for over six months to help raise awareness for men’s skin cancer. During these challenging times for charities, the brand will donate £2 from every order in June, July and August to Melanoma UK with the ambition of raising £50,000 for a new automated mole mapping machine.

As part of the mission, new research conducted by LifeJacket Skin Protection with over 5,000 men and women has been released highlighting some of the reasons why male skin cancer figures are so shockingly high.

This revealed that:

• Women are over twice as likely as men to think about UV protection all year round, every day.
• 70% of men avoid using sun protection because they find existing products on the market too greasy, thick, heavy, fragranced or aimed at women.
• 90% of men use a moisturiser daily or on occasion BUT only 3% use an SPF moisturiser every day.
• 93% of women surveyed worry about men in their life when it comes to skin protection.
• 89% of men said they would be more inclined to use sun protection products made for them.

The work highlights that for several reasons, men are leaps behind women when it comes to awareness, knowledge and the practice of skin protection. Added to this, the increase in men swapping gym routines for outdoor workouts and with no indoor socialising activities on the table for the foreseeable future, something needs to be done to ensure the World Health Organisation forecasts don’t become a reality.

While five or more sunburns in your lifetime doubles your risk of skin cancer, it's never too late to start protecting and caring for your skin. Firstly, men need to check their skin regularly for changes and abnormalities. If you see something that worries you, don’t ignore it. Visit your local GP. Then, it's time for skin protection. The sun's damaging UVA and UVB rays reach our skin every single day with UVB rays particularly strong at the moment. Use an SPF moisturiser each day, UV protective clothing and sunscreen when outside. Don’t fall foul of the myth that protection is only necessary while abroad or during summer.

To help increase knowledge and awareness, LifeJacket Skin Protection and it's scientific panel have collated some practical facts and tips for men in a bid to get them to take skin protection more seriously.

• The best form of defence is… to seek shade, wear a hat, sunglasses and clothing or use sunscreen.
• It’s not about temperature… the level of UV outside causes skin damage – not the temperature. Check the daily UV Index on your weather app.
• When using sunscreen… remember this rule of thumb: one teaspoon of sunscreen per body part (head, arm, leg, neck, chest, back).
• And don’t miss these common spots… scalp, bald spot, eyelids, upper lip, back of the neck, head and shoulders and the top of the feet.
• Be extra vigilant here… 80% of skin cancers in men are from the waist up.
• Not all clothing is created equal... a standard white cotton t-shirt is the equivalent of SPF 5 – so UV rays will still damage your skin.
• Careful inside too… UVA rays penetrate smooth, ordinary glass…so wear protection if you’re working by a window.
• It’s not just a summer thing… regular sun protection reduces the risk of melanoma by up to 73%.
• Check, mate … check your skin monthly, focus on new or changing legions.

LifeJacket Skin Protection makes high performance skin protection specifically engineered for men to encourage them to change their behaviour. It includes a range of skincare and UPF 50+ clothing products. The clothing is made using lightweight, technical fabrics designed for men to wear outside.

The skincare was designed to be lightweight, non-greasy, quick-absorbing and easy to work into the skin through body hair, all without compromising on safety, protection and performance. The products were designed by a team of experts and clinically and dermatologically tested in UK labs for a three-year period before being launched. Manufactured in the UK, the skincare products include Daily Protection Moisturiser with SPF 30, Daily Repair Moisturiser, High SPF 30 Sun Gel, Very High SPF 50+ Sun Gel and convenient sachet packs.

Gill Nuttall, Melanoma UK’s CEO founder said, “The change in situation to exercise regimes and closure of indoor leisure facilities poses a huge threat to skin health. This is particularly pertinent to men who we know from research are a lot less likely to wear SPF protection than women. The weather is getting sunnier and we know men will be going out, totally unprotected. The #GotYourBack awareness campaign is vital, and such a clever way of getting men to take care of their skin in a way that they haven’t bothered to before. The LifeJacket Skin Protection products have been developed by men, for men, so they really have got it right. The formula, packaging and cost will fit well with men of all ages. We’re very happy to have partnered with them”

Billy Boulos, co-founder of LifeJacket Skin Protection added, “We launched LifeJacket because several friends including Jono, my best friend and best man, were diagnosed with different forms of cancer. Our perspective on life changed quickly. Like many other guys in their thirties, we thought we were indestructible but we weren’t. A bit of research uncovered some incredible facts about male skin cancer and we knew we had to do something to shift the trend. We really hope our brand, the #GotYourBack campaign and our new research findings will help to get the message out there and save more men from skin cancer”

References:

• British Journal of Dermatology (2011) – link
• Britsh Medical Journal (2002) – link
• Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology – link
• Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology – link
• Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011 – link
• Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine – link
• WHO
• GCO

The LifeJacket Skin Protection range of skincare and UPF 50+ clothing is available now, priced from £14-£40. To view the collection and learn more about the #GotYourBack campaign go to www.lifejacketskinprotection.com