Americans are getting burned at record rates despite nearly universal agreement that sun protection matters and widespread educational campaigns promoting the importance of sunscreen.

Sunburn rates have jumped 40% and tanning rates have increased 24% since 2020, according to a new survey from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Those figures contradict the 96% of Americans who say sunscreen is important, a view one in four say was influenced by dermatologists. The disconnect between knowledge and action has created what dermatologists describe as a potential public health crisis.

“In 2024, 1 in 6 Americans felt it was worth looking great now even if it means looking worse later in life, with two-thirds of Americans preferring how their skin looks with a tan,” Susan C. Taylor, M.D.

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