Insights from the 2026 the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Practice Safe Sun Survey

In May 2026 the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) released results from the annual Practice Safe Sun Survey. The results show that many Americans continue to practice risky behaviors that are unfortunately driven by misinformation and social media. In addition, the results show that there is a gap between what people believe are safe sun practices (awareness) and their actions.

Here are a few key highlights from the study:

· 57% of respondents regularly use sunscreen, and more people report taking steps to protect their skin; however, one-third said they got a sunburn in the past year.

· Approximately 50% of respondents scored a “C” or lower on the sun safety knowledge quiz even though 67% rated their habits as “good” or “excellent.”

· The discrepancies between knowledge and actions are even more concerning in people ages 18-29. Approximately one third of people in this age group received a D or F on the sun safety quiz.

· According to survey data, nearly 50% of all respondents, and 64% ages 18-29 report encountering sunscreen misinformation online. Overall, 21% of respondents rely on Instagram or TikTok influencers for skincare advice and decision making, and 36% of respondents ages 18-29 use these platforms as their primary source of information.

· Approximately 52% of respondents believe at least one tanning myth. In total, 29% of people said that tanning is safe if you don’t burn and 19% said that a base tan can prevent sunburn or reduce the risk of skin cancer.

· In the survey, 50% of respondents said they worried about premature skin aging, and 43% said they had wrinkles or dark spots. However, 21% of respondents said they are unaware that sunscreen helps prevent premature aging and 26% said they didn’t realize that sunscreen can help prevent dark spots. You can read the press release here: https://www.aad.org/news/misinformation-increases-skin-cancer-risk-for-16-million-americans

And here is the link to the survey data if you would like to learn more: https://bit.ly/3SVNntS