Phoenix ranked among top cities where skin ages fastest
Sep 3, 2018, 8:30 PM | Updated: Sep 4, 2018, 7:08 am
(AP Photo/David Goldman)
PHOENIX — Phoenix was ranked the No. 4 city in the U.S. where skin ages the fastest, according to a report by the company Sunscreenr.
Sunscreenr creates devices that allow people to see if they have missed a spot when applying sunscreen, or when sunscreen has worn off over time.
The report looked at U.S. cities that have more than 100,000 residents and place in at least the fifth out of nine levels of sun exposure determined by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Factors included in the report were the skin color of the population, regional poverty level, amount of ultraviolet light penetration in an area and the “beach culture” of the environment, meaning the degree to which using sunscreen is encouraged and normal.
The report said that Phoenix is located in a level-nine NREL region, the most naturally skin damaging zone possible.
One of the factors preventing Phoenix from being ranked higher was its high percentage of private pool ownership. This led the researchers to consider Phoenix having somewhat of a “beach culture,” even without an ocean nearby.
Tucson was the No. 2 city and is located deeper in a level-nine NREL zone than Phoenix is, the report stated.
Tucson has a higher poverty rate and lower rate of pool ownership than Phoenix, leading researchers to say residents live with a slightly elevated risk of skin damage.
Laredo, Texas, was named the city where skin ages fastest. Three other Texas cities made the list, as did two from Nevada and one each from New Mexico and Colorado.
The report said although these numbers are alarming, correctly applying sunscreen can greatly reduce the risk of sun damage.