Gender Roles: Are
they worth the burn?
by Yaseen Hemeda, TG Co-op Student
by Yaseen Hemeda, TG Co-op Student
The use of sunscreen products among teenage males and females differ. While most females feel the need to apply sunscreen products to protect their skin from Ultra-Violet rays, most males do not.Why aren't teenage males using sunscreen?
From a male point-of-view, I experienced somewhat of a predicament while working as a lifeguard at an outdoor swimming pool. I had a choice: either put it on or get burned. I chose the former; however, I still had feelings of embarrassment and shyness about rubbing lotion all over my body in public. But as I began using sunscreen for a while, although forced to swallow my manly pride, I eventually became comfortable with it.
Even though I was able to overcome my personal reasons for not putting it on, other teenage males are still in a constant battle with society's masculine and feminine portrayals.
"Females tend to be more articulate about using sunscreen. They feel more conditioned to using these products than males because for so long it has been the role of females to apply lotions and be more cautious and aware about how their skin looks," says Dr. John Goldhar, Head of Dermatology at Mount Sinai hospital, in Toronto.
Teenage males tend to view sunscreen products as being 'sissy,' Goldhar explains. "There is generally a negative connotation about these products which is unmanly."
According to Goldhar, females more than males go to see dermatologists because they tend to be more concerned with their skin. Similarly, research done by Simmons Company (1997), shows that 39% of males and 52% of females use sunscreen products.
How do teenagers feel about this issue?
Michelle Pariah, a 17 year-old Brampton student, says that males are not 'touched' by the hazardous effects that not using sunscreen brings about.
"Culturally, the beauty-myth pertains only to women," she says. "Males feel odd about having a daily routine, whereas women are conditioned to 'cleanse and tone'."
To level the playing field for males who are neglecting to use sunscreen, Pariah suggests that there should be some form of male-oriented sunscreen. "Market the products with a male-scent, using male-models." Using a male target audience in advertisments may make teenage males more flexible with the sunscreen ideology.
Frank Reyes, a 18 year-old Toronto student, says he uses sunscreen regardless of its feminine image. "I don't want to get skin cancer," he says. "But when I do use it, I put it on before I leave my house." Reyes knows sunscreen products portray femininity, but he still finds other ways to use it because he realizes it's an important precaution that must be taken.
Nancy Chun, a 16 year-old Mississauga student, agrees. She says that males can overcome their 'jock-image' problems by incorporating sunscreen as part of their daily-routine. "Just put it on right after you brush your teeth."
But not all teens agree. Mark Osei, a 17 year-old Toronto student, feels that the only way you could get teens to start using sunscreen is through education and awareness.
"Teeange males should be told about the harmful effects to the skin that the sun causes," he says. "If guys become convinced that they will be seriously affected by the sun's Ultra-Violet rays, they'll start using it."
Goldhar notes that 50% of sun damage is done before we reach 18 years of age.
tgmag@tgmag.ca