Men are less likely than women to wear suncream or cover up during the hottest part of the day, according to a UK poll.
Fewer than half (47 per cent) of men use factor 15 or higher, compared to 66 per cent of women, the Cancer Research UK survey found.
Men are also less likely than women to cover up with a T-shirt or long sleeves and to spend time in the shade.
Five times more men than women rely on their partner to remind them to use sun protection (10 per cent compared to two per cent), while 23 per cent admit failing to protect their skin at all, compared to 15 per cent of women.
The poll of more than 2,000 people also found women were more likely to wear sunglasses (68 per cent compared to 53 per cent) to protect their eyes.
Across both sexes, 96 per cent of people said they were aware sunburn increases the risk of cancer, yet 22 per cent still want a suntan and 20 per cent fail to plan for potentially sunny weather.
Almost nine out of 10 people admitted they have been burnt at some point during their lives, with almost half saying it was painful.
More than 6,000 women are diagnosed with malignant melanoma each year, alongside about 5,600 men.
Death rates for men from the disease have doubled in the last 30 years, from 1.5 per 100,000 in the late 70s to 3.1 per 100,000 now. For women, the rates have jumped from 1.4 per 100,000 to 2.2 per 100,000. Caroline Cerny, Cancer Research UK’s SunSmart campaign manager, said: “These results indicate that men seem to be worse than women at protecting their skin in the sun.
“Traditionally it’s been women who want to sport a suntan but this survey suggests men crave this look as well but are forgetting to protect their skin.
“Sunburn is a sign that the DNA in your skin has been damaged and people know that getting sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer but many don’t bother to protect their skin from burning.”
Sara Hiom, the charity’s director of health information, said: “The British weather causes a dilemma because we don’t tend to get many sunny summer days, so when it does shine people tend to overdo it, not realising you can burn even when it’s cool or slightly cloudy.”