Local startup aims to stop skin cancer with UV stickers

It’s a little purple sticker and its maker says that it could help protect you from skin cancer.

The UV detection stickers are made in Buffalo, this is how they work.

“Before you put your sunscreen on, you apply the purple sticker anywhere on your skin and you’ll put sunscreen over it,“ said Jessica Trace, director of content for Suncayr. “When there’s sun outside, you put your sunscreen on and it will turn clear to let you know that you’re protected.“

Throughout the day as your sunscreen wears off, it starts to turn purple again, and that means it’s time to apply more sunscreen. The sticker also tells you how much sunscreen to use.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association says one of the common sunscreen mistakes is not applying enough.

“Most people only really only use about a quarter to a third of the amount of sunscreen that they really need,” she said. “So, we tell people to put the sunscreen on the sticker see how much they needed for it to go clear and then apply the same amount all over your body.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research melanoma, which is skin cancer, is the 19th most common cancer worldwide. One of the top causes is exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun or tanning beds.

“So, I can certainly speak for myself and a lot of the people that I know, that when the sun comes out in Canada and Buffalo, I spend a lot of time outside enjoying that sunshine,“ said Andrew Martinko CEO of Suncayr. “And, then you’re a little less likely to think of the negative impacts of that sunshine.”

The startup company called Suncayr makes the stickers here in Buffalo. They’re founders are from Canada, and they got the idea for the sticker during a college class project.

The stickers aren’t available at retail stores just yet, but you can find them online. https://www.suncayr.ca/

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