Chris Pratt's Burnt Back
Come on men, you should really be wearing sunscreen.
Actor Chris Pratt is the human personification of the everyman. He’s funny and personable with a soft spot on his heart and gut (no shade as women love dad bods more than six-packs). And now, he’s become the human symbol of why men need to wear more sunscreen.
The Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy star recently posted a picture of himself post-honeymoon. After getting married to Katherin Schwarzenegger, Pratt shares that he spent too much time under the sun (and probably not enough protection to boot).
While sharing a pick of his very sunburnt back and neck (as well as an incredibly pale butt), Pratt wrote, “Suns out guns out. I might have got a toouuuch crispy on the honeymoon. #Aloe”
After seeing Pratt’s post, we had to have a bit of a hearty laugh. But, we also felt like this was a hint at the bigger picture that is… men need to use sunscreen more. It's something we mentioned in our essential men's skincare regimen post.
Related: Tom Holland Saved A Fan Crushed At An Autograph Signing
Men And Sunscreen
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention writes that sunscreen use is low among men. In fact, their findings say that fewer than 15% of men use sunscreen regularly on their face and other exposed skin when outside for more than one hour.
Allure then asked men how often they use sunscreen or sunblock.
One man said he applies the stuff as rarely as possible and that the only reason he does it sometimes is “Because I am shamed into it by either a person or an earlier sunburn.”
Most other men then said they’d usually only apply sunscreen for specific activities. Mostly, they have to believe their activity will lead to being outside for several hours.
Said one man, “I'd say it's activity-dependent. In the summer, it might average once a week, but after the winter blanch cooks off, I'd say that the frequency varies.”
Another man then said that he applies sunblock, “Relatively rarely, most often when I'm in close proximity to water. Especially on boats or at the beach, where I feel that the danger is high. I feel protected most of the time by a dark complexion.”
Black Men & Sunscreen
Unfortunately, Black people are especially bad about their skincare when it comes to applying sunblock. As a black writer, I’m also a part of the problem. I remember saying at a pool party as a child that “I’m black, I’ll just get darker.” (Or something to that effect).
And younger me’s not the only one who thinks this way. Another responder told Allure that he never applies sunscreen “Because I'm blessed [with dark skin] and don't get sunburned.” He then added, “I might get skin cancer, but probably not due to UV rays. I literally don't know what a sunburn feels like. I tan, but just a bit.”
Then on the Reddit forum Ask Men, one redditor said, after being asked about this subject, “Almost never, but I'm brown and have never been sunburnt, I know about all the other stuff, but yeah.”
Then there’s also the fact that products aren’t made with people of color in mind.
As one redditor wrote, “I tried one recommended to me by a BROWN DERMATOLOGIST and it still caked up my face – this was La Roche Posey Ultra Sheer – it's great but will make your face a ghost.”
Of course, perhaps what should be the real focus is keeping one’s skin safe and not the fact that our faces look like powered politicians and royals from the 1700s.
Use Sunscreen
So, do you men use sunscreen? How often do you use it and for what circumstances? And if you don’t use sunblock, why not? Let us know down in the comments below.
