UVSunSafe

Press Release March 2009

EASY-TO-USE WRISTBAND TELLS YOU WHEN TO APPLY SUNSCREEN – AND WHEN TO HIT THE SHADE

UVSunSafe Allows For More Accurate Application of Suntan Lotions,
Reducing Risk of Deadly Skin Cancer and Long-Term Sun Damage

(NEW YORK – March 2009) The UVSunSafe wristband, a new, easy-to-use tool that helps people avoid overexposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, is now available and will soon help families all across America reduce the risk of skin cancer and painful sun damage.

The UVSunSafe wristband is a sun-sensitive gauge. Wrapped around a user’s wrist, the wearer then applies sunscreen to their body – as well as the wristband – before  going about their outdoor activity. The band then changes color to let the wearer know it’s time to reapply sunscreen – or to get out of the sun. It’s really that simple!

UVSunSafe is designed to work with sunscreens of SPF 15 or higher, and will change color at different times depending on the SPF level. UVSunSafe is designed to be used in salt, fresh or chlorinated water, and in showers – thus giving an accurate reading after outdoor activities like swimming, running or just playing in the backyard.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Epidemiologic data from the CDC also show that most skin cancers can be prevented with adequate protection from UV radiation. The UVSunSafe wristband is a good tool to help take the guesswork out of keeping yourself and your loved ones sun-safe.

Why People Need UVSunSafe

Repeated exposure to the sun increases the risk of skin cancer, including deadly melanoma. Long-term exposure has also been shown to contribute to premature aging and wrinkles. Such effects are incurred even if no sunburn occurs. Most people are completely unaware that the SPF value on the label of a sunscreen is highly subjective to  several factors: the type of activity (athletics, swimming etc.); the chemical properties of the sunscreen base; and the date the sunscreen is purchased and opened. All of
theses factors can dramatically alter the effectiveness of a sunscreen: sometimes, a sunscreen’s efficacy is revealed only after one gets sunburn!

The only sure way to protect yourself from overexposure is to reapply sunscreen at intervals determined by a monitoring device susceptible to the same conditions as the sunscreen wearer. The UVSunSafe wristband is such a device, delivering accurate monitoring in real-time, under identical conditions as the wearer’s.

How it works

Developed by a nuclear physicist, the UVSunSafe wristband technology is similar in principle to monitoring devices used for personnel at nuclear power plants or in jobs dealing with nuclear medicine. But instead of measuring gamma rays, UVSunSafe is calibrated for ultraviolet – or UV – radiation present in sunlight. The band’s four color stages indicate changing conditions and how a user should adapt to the sunlight. The wristband is orange when removed from the packaging. It becomes purple when exposed to the sun, indicating that it has been activated. When it transitions to a dark brown the wearer needs to immediately reapply their protective sunscreen. If the band turns a salmon color, the wearer should get out of the sun completely, having approached the recommended daily limit of UV radiation. Further exposure will likely result in painful sunburn and increase the risk of sun poisoning, also known as photodermatitis.

About UVSunSafe

UVSunSafe, LLC manufactures a UV monitoring wristband which acts as real-time dosimeter gauges to alert users about their exposure risk. UVSunSafe wristbands are available through a nationwide network of traditional and online retailers. UVSunSafe wristbands do not contain any sunscreen, nor do they protect against sunburn.

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