(November 16, 2009 - Insidermedicine)

Receiving a daily text message reminder may help people remember to apply sunscreen every day, according to research published in the latest issue of the Archives of Dermatology.

Benefits of using sunscreen regularly include:

•    Reduced risk of getting sunburned

•    Reduced lifetime risk of developing skin cancer

•    Reduced risk of having prematurely aged skin

Researchers out of the University of California–Davis Health System in Sacramento randomly assigned 70 adult volunteers to receive daily reminders in the form of text messages to their cellular phones or to receive no such reminders. The text messages included information about the daily forecast as well as reminders to apply sunscreen. Use of sunscreen was measured via electronic devices that sent a message to a central site every time the cap was removed from the tube of sunscreen. 

After six weeks, those who received the text message reminders had applied sunscreen on an average of 56% of the days, while those who did not receive the reminders applied it on only 30% of the days. In addition, more than two-thirds of those who had received the reminders said they would continue to use them, and nearly one-third said they would recommend them to others.

While today's research demonstrates that even those who know they are being monitored often forget to apply sunscreen, it also shows that simple, regular reminders, such as text messages, can help increase its use.