The sunny seasons are fast approaching, so it’s especially important to give clients extra reminders to protect their skin. It's hard to believe, but many are still taking their skin for granted. According to a recent report from the American Cancer Society, more than five million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year, including more than 76,000 incidences of invasive melanoma, which spreads to other parts of the body, in 2016 alone. Stress, pollution, smoking, and poor nutrition also make their marks (literally) on the skin. How much of an impact these factors have on the skin varies widely across the country and from city to city. Here’s an eye-opening list of the best and worst cities for skin based on statistics gathered by WalletHub’s analysts.
Best Cities for Skin:
- El Paso, TX
- San Antonio
- Austin, TX
- Minneapolis
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Plano, TX
- Memphis, TN
- Dallas
- Newark, NJ
- New York City
Worst Cities for Skin:
- Port St. Lucie, FL
- Akron, OH
- Shreveport, LA
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Cape Coral, FL
- Spokane, WA
- Toledo, OH
- Chattanooga, TN
- Amarillo, TX
- Oxnard, CA
To come up with this list, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 150 most populated U.S. cities across four key characteristics: 1) Skin-Cancer Prevalence and Contributors, 2) Pollution and Smoking, 3) Climate, and 4) Skin Health and Care. Here's a bit more insight into these contributing factors.