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Sun Safety Tips

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Tips for Children

Living in South Florida, parents should know a few sun safety tips. Children all enjoy the sun, but too much of a good thing can be dangerous if you're not careful. The following information can help avoid accelerated skin aging and prevent future skin cancers.

Did you know?

The average American receives 50-80% of their lifetime exposure before the age of 18. UV light consists mostly of UVB, responsible largely for sunburn and skin cancer, and UVA, which is linked more closely to wrinkling. A tan is the skin's response to injury-it darkens in order to protect itself, so no tan is "healthy." Sun damage accumulates over a lifetime and is irreversible; each time you go out, you "add to the pot." Most skin cancers arise from a bad sunburn in childhood. A bad sunburn can double the risk of getting a skin cancer; a blistering or peeling sunburn can triple it. Lighter skin, hair, and eyes are risk factors of developing skin cancer.

Sun Safety Strategies

Reduce Sun Exposure

Limit time in the sun between 10:00am and 4:00pm, when the sun's rays are strongest. Don't rely on barriers such as windshields, windows, light clothing, or clouds for protection. As much as 80% of the sun's rays can penetrate them. Never allow your child to use tanning beds, which use concentrated UV rays, sometimes 15 times stronger than the natural sun.

Wear Protection

Have children wear dark shirts, if possible. They offer some protection and are superior to lighter colored clothing. UV resistant clothing is available. Solumbra makes attractive garments. For protective garments with a durable, built-in SPF of 30. Hats with wide rims are recommended to cover ears. It is the law in countries like Australia and New Zealand for children to wear them during peak sun hours. Remember UV protective eyewear.

Use Sunscreen

Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 while outdoors. Apply 30 minutes before sun exposure; be generous with application and reapply frequently. Lab conditions used to assign sun protection factor (SPF) are generally less rigorous than actual conditions. In other words, an SPF of 15 in reality may only give an SPF of 8-10, which is often not enough. An SPF of 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays, whereas an SPF 30 blocks about 97%. They are less effective against UVA rays. The best sunscreen is acutally a sunblock which protects well against both UVA and UVB rays. A sunblock will usually have either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient. However, there are myriad children's sunscreens that are acceptable. See www.skincancer.org for more information on sunscreens. Do not use sunscreens on infancts younger than 6 months. Newborns should be kept out of the sun. Consider sun "sticks" which are convenient to carry and work well on faces, where stinging of the eyes can occur easily if the child sweats. Neutrogena and Banana Boat are two brands to consider. Make sure if your sunscreen contains an insect repellant that it is safe for children. Many are not recommended for children under two years of age unless present in low concentrations.

3385 Burns Road Suite #101 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410 • Phone: 561-493-8314 Fax: 561-493-8316 • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm