Can You Tell If You've Had Enough Sun for One Day? SunSpots Takes Guesswork Out of UVB Protection PR Newswire -- May 2, 2002 PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer millions of Americans will be hitting beaches, pools, parks and vacation hot spots. But will they be protected? It's a quandary that perplexes even dermatologists whose advice to reapply sunscreen every few hours sounds a bit hazy. But with SunSpots, such guesswork is no longer necessary. The answer to the sun exposure riddle are these nickel-size stickers, available at www.sunspotstickers.com , that help prevent sunburn by changing color when the day's UVB exposure reaches the danger point. "Sunscreen has become the standard in protecting our skin from dangerous sun exposure, but it's not enough," said Mark Wood, spokesman for ITX- SunSpots, Inc. "Sunscreen wears off, leaving the skin vulnerable to ultraviolet B rays that cause sunburn, wrinkles and ultimately cancer. The question becomes: How do you know when to reapply your sunscreen?" The trendy SunSpots Stickers with smiley faces that change from yellow to orange act as UVB indicators, gradually changing color with increasing UVB exposure. "SunSpots, with their scientific-based technology, are basically an equivalent of a litmus test," Wood said. "They take the guesswork out of when a child or adult has gotten too much sun. Besides that, they're cute and fun." Here's how the stickers work: The SunSpots contain a photochromic chemical that responds only to UVB rays. That chemical goes from yellow to orange upon being exposed to what is called the minimum erythema dose or the amount of sunlight that causes a dangerous reddening linked to skin cancer. Every year, more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 53,600 new cases of melanoma in the United States this year. "The number of new cases of skin cancer is on the rise, and is the most common of all cancers," Wood said. "Recent data even suggests melanoma is the most rapidly rising cancer in women in their 20s and 30s." Since 1998, ITX-SunSpots, Inc., has been working to develop new technologies in the area of sun protection. Its UVB indicators are the first in a new line of skin care products that will usher in a new generation of sun protection devices. Contact: Angel Streeter TransMedia Group (561) 750-9800, ext. 21 astreeter@transmediagroup.com