DD HEALTH: A new Irish-designed patch that monitors sun exposure is to be widely available this summer and it’s hoped it will help in the fight against skin cancer.
The “My UV Patch” from La Roche-Posay, one of L’Oréal Group’s skin-care brands, contains photosensitive dyes that work with all skin tones, changing colour when exposed to UV rays to indicate varying levels of sun exposure.
In a recent study carried out by La Roche-Posay and the Irish Cancer Society it was found that 44% of adults only wear sunscreen in Ireland during the summer months with 37% only wearing it when the weather reaches over 20 degrees.
And, 12% admit to not wearing sunscreen at all in Ireland due to a belief that they don’t need it because of our weather.
The My UV Patch is an easy-to-use transparent adhesive strip that you stick to your skin. It can be worn for up to five days and will be distributed from dermatologists and GPs.
The patch is simply applied to whatever area of the skin you want to monitor. Then you take a photo of the patch on your smartphone and upload it onto the La Roche-Posay My UV Patch mobile app.
Kevin O’ Hagan, from the Irish Cancer Society said: “It represents a step forward in raising people’s awareness of the dangers of UV exposure and the importance of sun protection.
It’s important to note that Ireland has the highest recorded incidences of non-melanoma skin cancer and the particular problem is about 75% of the population have fair skin types”.
It was designed by the Irish company PCH International, which specialises in manufacturing products, and was manufactured by L’Oreal Global Technology Incubator. La Roche-Posay is bringing the patch to market.
The patch is due to be available in Ireland from July onwards and will be distributed with advice, free of charge, from top dermatologists and GPs.
Register for your patch at www.laroche-posay.ie
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