All of us remember summers spent playing outdoors, building forts, playing tag, riding bikes, and exploring the fantastical parallel worlds of our neighborhoods. Summer sun burns were a common malady, and we impatiently fidgeted as our mothers applied some moisturizer to our peeling noses as we raced outside again to meet our friends. While the advent of computer games and fear of skin cancer has driven our children indoors to seek their fun, they are able to again enjoy the outdoors as long as they have sufficient protection. It falls to parents to make sure that kids are properly protected from the sun in what they wear and how they wear it.
The suns ultraviolet radiation is very present, and it is something that we cannot see or feel. It travels through our atmosphere in all conditions, even on cloudy days, and it is strongest in the middle of the day, just before and just after the noon hour. Children have more tender skin than adults, and their skin is very susceptible to permanent sun damage. Sun tans are actually wounded skin responding to sun overexposure, and peeling skin is severely injured skin. Some studies have shown that a single severe sunburn in childhood can double the risk of developing skin cancer later on, so it is important to keep skin protected from the very beginning of life.
With all this daunting information, how can you protect your child from the suns harmful radiation? The first step is to limit their overall sun exposure while still allowing them outdoor access. Keep them inside when the sun is at its strongest, which is between 10am and 2pm. The early morning or late afternoon are much safer times to be out, and this is where protective measures should be used. Specialized
sun protective swimwear and clothing can block up to 98% of harmful UV rays, and they are manufactured to cover as much skin as possible. Adding in the use of hats or caps, sunglasses, and broad-spectrum sunblocks of at least 35 SPF will enhance the protection of your childs skin. Surprisingly there are also sun protective
kids swimwear lines that allow them to both enjoy outdoor activities at the beach and protect their skin at the same time.
Sun protection is a very serious issue that all parents should teach their children. Sunlight means a day of outdoor fun, but it doesnt have to mean a higher risk of skin cancer as long as you take preventative measures.
