This giveaway is no longer accepting entries. Congrats to this week’s winner, Lexy!
When you’re getting ready to leave the house, you always make sure you have your keys, your wallet or purse, anything your children might need — but do you make sure you also have your SPF on?
Early summer is a great time to review the the in’s and out’s sun protection and why it could be one of the most important ways you can protect your kids.
Melanoma
You might think it’s too early to worry about skin cancer. But did you know that sunburn at an early age almost doubles the risk of melanoma in adulthood? And, melanoma is one of the most common cancers of young Americans. That’s why it’s important to establish a lifelong practice of sun protection at an early age, including these basic rules:
- Keep babies under 6 months of age away from direct sunlight as much as possible
- When possible, cover yourself and your children with comfortable, cool clothing. Tighter weaved clothes are more effective as sun shields than looser weaved clothing
- Go hat shopping from the youngest member to the oldest member of your family. Use wide-brimmed ones that cover the face and the neck.
- Go sunglass shopping. Make sure it has broad at least 99% UVA and UVB protection. It is not the designer label that counts- it is all about the UV label.
Sunscreen
In addition to above measures, sunscreen is an important preventive measure. Please use it every day. When looking for sunscreen, here are some important things to keep in mind:
- Broad spectrum with UVB and UBV protection
- SPF of at least 15
- Look for rating stars which rank protection levels
- For children, use a sunscreen designed for children
- Please apply it about 15-30 minutes before exposure
- Use waterproof as desired but do not assume it really is fully waterproof. Reapply, reapply, and reapply. Read the bottle instructions.
- For more sensitive areas (nose and tops of ears) use products with zinc oxide or titanium oxide
- In general, reapply about every 2 hours
About once week, I am asked about sunscreen and the babies under 6 months of age. Use the protective measures discussed above (clothing, hats, shade). But if avoidance of the sun is difficult, you can use small amounts on the areas that will be exposure to the sun’s rays.
Sunburn
Even with the best protection, you can still get sunburn. Usually it is noticeable about 6-12 hours after the exposure. If the skin is only red and warm with some pain, you can apply cool compresses to area and bath your child in cool water. But if your family member has any change in her overall being such as a fever or feeling ill, or if the skin is noted to have blisters- you should call your physician.
A Word About Teens
One in four non-Hispanic Caucasian teenagers (13-19 years) has used a tanning facility at least once. The problem it that the UV radiation in salons can be as much as 10 times more than that from midday sun.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization and American Academy of Dermatology actually support legislation that would prohibit individuals under 18 years of age to tanning salons. And with good reason. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old, and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old according to the National Cancer Institute.
As a precaution, teens should begin to inspect their bodies for moles and look for the A, B, C, D and E’s:
- Asymmetry: One half of the abnormal area is different from the other half.
- Borders: The edges of the growth are irregular.
- Color: Color changes from one area to another, with shades of tan, brown, or black, and sometimes white, red, or blue. A mixture of colors may appear within one sore.
- Diameter: The spot is usually (but not always) larger than 6 mm in diameter — about the size of a pencil eraser.
- Evolution: The mole keeps changing appearance.
And if you have any questions, be sure to talk with your primary care physician.
Just as you try to instill healthy habits like brushing teeth, exercising and eating healthy, you should make sun protection just as important for your family. And remember, your kids might not do what you say, but they’ll often do what you do — model good behavior, wear sunscreen, and keep everyone healthy.
To enter this week’s giveaway: Leave a comment on this post telling us how you protect your family while you’re having fun in the sun.Prize: A beach bag filled with summer essentials. No substitutions.
Rules: Giveaway closes on Sunday, Juy 1, 2012 at 11pm CST. Open to Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois residents only. One entry per email address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Monday, July 2nd as an update to this post. Come back to Growing Up Healthy on Monday for the announcement of the winner and next week’s giveaway. Subscribe to the blog and you’ll get new posts delivered to your inbox as soon as they’re posted.
I always have sunscreen in my bag during the Summer so we can apply at at moment’s notice! And my girls are loving wearing their floppy hats to protect their faces and hair!
I think you mean “TIGHTER weaved clothes are more effective as sun shield than looser weaved clothing.”
My family wears sunhats and uses sunscreen. My daughter is young and has very fine, short hair and a hat is the only practical way to protect her scalp.
You’re right, we did mean tighter not lighter. Thanks for letting us know!
My 6 year old reminds me when the time is to put on the sun screen. She knows how painful it can be to not wear sun screen.
We have a “sun bag” that includes different types of sunscreen, hats and water.
We carry sun screen in every bag, purse, swim bags…etc. I have different kinds from sprays to lotions to face applicators. It just is a habit for us all. It’s important to reapply and I love the kind of spray that really goes on well when the skin is wet. I have found for us that after an hour and a half at a pool or water park we reapply. I can usually feel “heat” on the back of my neck and know it’s time to put more on the kids.
We keep sun tan lotion and sun tan spray in our diaper bag at all times. I like the spray if we are in a hurry or to get the top of our heads. I like the lotion for our face and ears.
I provide daycare for my 7 grandchildren, ages 13 to 4. We always put on our sunscreen prior to heading out to play, wear big floppy hats (I use spray sunscreen on the head of my blonde grandson also because he is so fair skinned and won’t leave his hat on), the big boys wear baseball hats but slather on the sunscreen on their necks and ears. We also avoid the sun at its hottest time of the day by spending time napping or reading a book.
We have different types of sunscreen in every bag- Stick, spray, foam & lotion. We apply before leaving the house to go somewhere. We also use hats and sunglasses. My daughter is two and knows it’s the ‘must do’ before she can go outside. Thanks for the tips!
Sunscreen is a must in our house as well. We have a bag with sunscreen, hats and other summer essentials that does with us everywhere. We also keep an extra bottle of sunscreen in both vehicles just in case.
I carry around a travel-size sunscreen and make sure my lip stuff has sunscreen in it.