JoeShade™

Don’t Be Like the British: Know How to Stay Protected from Harmful UV Rays

Written by H. Fishman on December 5, 2012

When you think of the British, what comes to mind? Afternoon tea, the Royal Family, and soccer top the list or come close. One thing that may not have come to mind is that British people have difficulty recognizing when the sun is strong enough to give a sunburn.

According to the BBC, 4 out of 10 Britons don’t realize when the sun is strong enough to cause sunburn. That’s why rates of malignant melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – have risen faster in Great Britain than any other kinds of common cancer.

Too much sun, to the point of getting a sunburn, damages your skin and raises the risk of skin cancer. Just one sunburn every two years can triple the risk of melanoma.

The JoeShade umbrella is great for staying out of the sun’s harmful UV rays.

You can’t exactly fault the British people for not knowing what steps to take to protect their skin from sun damage. Temperatures in Great Britain are on average more moderate than here in the U.S. (yearly highs are from 40° – 60° Fahrenheit), so they’re not exposed to the heat and sunshine that Americans are.

Less sun exposure on a regular basis leads to lesser awareness about how quickly you can burn in the sun, and what you should do to stay safe from harmful UV rays.

Even the Royal Couple could have benefited from our shade umbrella!

The Royal Couple were in the sun at the London Olympics; too bad they weren’t in the shade of a JoeShade umbrella!

At the London Olympics this past summer, Prince William and Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, were spectators in the stands at a number of events. Unlike typical London weather in August, during the Olympics the weather was bright and sunny for almost the entire duration of the games, so they were out in the sun with little skin protection.

If you’re in the sun for long periods of time, using a combination of shade, clothing, and sunscreen can protect your skin from sun damage.

Let the shade come from a JoeShade umbrella!

Our shade umbrellas are unique in their sun safety features – the special fabric the umbrellas are made from blocks harmful UV rays. They’re great for people who are easily susceptible to sunburn and sun damage, such as people who are more fair-skinned – which many British people are.

They’re also great for keeping babies out of the sun – something the Royal Couple will be thinking about come next summer!

Makes a great holiday gift!

The JoeShade umbrella is a great gift if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun, or know someone who does. Be sure to order yours by December 18th to have it by December 24th!

And next time you run into someone who is British, instead of talking to them about the fate of Manchester United, talk to them about how they can stay safe from the sun!