SUN PROTECTION
While a tan may make you look healthy, just the opposite is true. Sun damage can cause skin cancer, the most dangerous of which is melanoma. To prevent skin cancer we must begin early with our children. Sun damage to skin is cumulative. Current evidence suggests that up to 80% of skin
damage occurs by the age of 18. Children and adolescents who experience a single blistering sunburn are twice as likely to develop skin cancer in later life.
Now that our long snowy winter has finally ended it is important to review good sun protection strategies. First, minimize sun exposure when the sun is directly overhead (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.). Beware of reflective surfaces. Sand, snow concrete and water can reflect more that half the
sun's rays onto your skin. Sitting in the shade does not guarantee protection. Remember that ultraviolet rays can penetrate clouds so you must consider sun protection even on cloudy days. Have your child wear a hat, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants. Tightly woven fabric will provide
greater protection from the sun's rays.
Using a sunscreen is an important part of sun protection. Sunscreen can be used in children of all ages, though it is best to try to avoid it in children under 6 months of age. Sunscreens, which come in cream, lotion, stick and spray forms, contain substances which prevent ultraviolet
light from entering the skin. Both types of ultraviolet light, UVA and UVB, are absorbed by your skin to cause premature aging, wrinkling, sunburn and skin cancer. Choose a sunscreen that offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a measure of how long a sunscreen will be effective for each individual. Multiplying the SPF of a sunscreen by the time it usually takes for your child's skin to turn red in the sun tells you how long the protection will last. For example, if you
use a lotion with SPF 15 and your child's skin usually turns red in 8 minutes of sunlight exposure, the lotion will protect your child for approximately 2 hours in the sun. We recommend you use a minimum SPF of 15 for your children. Sunscreen must be applied 30 minutes before being exposed to the sun and should be reapplied at least every two hours and after swimming.
Go back to the Main Page