Don’t Fry Today — Sun Safety Tips for Parents and Kids

Did you know that more people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined? Most kids get much of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18, so it’s important for parents to teach and model for their kids how to safely enjoy the sun.

We all need some sun exposure in order to maintain a good level of vitamin D, but it doesn’t take as much time as you might think. Most people only need to be in the sun for as few as ten minutes, but when the weather is good, most of us want to be out much longer than that! So creating a few sun safety habits it key to protecting yourself.

Simple Rules for Sun Safety

• Keep babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. Find shade under a tree, an umbrella or the stroller canopy.
• When possible, dress yourself and your children in cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, such as lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts and hats.
• Select clothes made with a tight weave — they protect better than clothes with a looser weave. If you’re not sure how tight a fabrics weave is, hold it up to see how much light shines through, the less light, the better. You can also look for protective clothing labeled with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF).
• Wear a hat with an all-around 3-inch brim to shield the face, ears and back of the neck.
• Limit your sun exposure between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. when UV rays are strongest.
• Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection. Look for child-sized sunglasses with UV protection for your kids.
• Use sunscreen.

About Sunscreen

Sunscreen can help protect the skin from sunburn and some skin cancers, but only if used correctly. Keep in mind that sunscreen should be used for sun protection, not as a reason to stay in the sun longer.

How to Pick Sunscreen:

• Use a sunscreen that says “broad-spectrum” on the label; that means it will screen out both UVB and UVA rays.
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 and up to SPF 50. An SPF of 15 to 30 is generally fine for most people.
• If swimming or sweating use a water-resistant sunscreen.
• Check the expiration date before use to make sure it’s still effective. Most sunscreens are good for 2-3 years unless they’ve been exposed to long periods of heat.

Apply your sunscreen properly. Ideally about a palm full of sunscreen should be used to cover the arms, legs, neck and faces of the average adult. Sunscreen needs to be re-applied at least every two hours, and more frequently if you are swimming or sweating.

Being smart in the sun doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun. Taking precautions in the sun can actually help you enjoy yourself even more since you won’t have to worry about getting a painful sunburn or suffering the long-term effects of skin damage. The sun doesn’t have to be your enemy, just practice good sun sense!