Quick Tips for Sun Safety

Janelle Sorensen
Healthy Child Healthy World
Last Updated: Thursday, August 14, 2008

Some ideas for protecting yourself so you can have care-free fun in the sun!

• Use sunscreen (link to “Choosing the Safest Sunscreen”) with a sun protective factor (SPF) of 15 or higher and put it on your skin a half hour before you go outside so it has a chance to soak in. (Don’t use products that contain sunscreen as well as insect repellant. The sunscreen needs to be re-applied more frequently so you’ll end up overexposing your child to the repellant.)
• In addition to sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, apply lip balm with an SPF factor.
• Slop on enough for good coverage and reapply often; sunscreens wash off in water and break down in sunlight. Studies have shown that consumers typically apply only a quarter to two-thirds of the amount of sunscreen required to achieve the product's SPF rating. The FDA recommends applying one ounce (about a palmful) evenly to all exposed skin.
• Keep sunscreen and lip balms in your car, in your purse, everywhere. You never know when you’ll need it.
• Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the tighter the weave and the darker the color of a garment, the higher the SPF protection.
• Wear a wide brimmed hat and wrap around sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.
• Seek shade, especially during the midday hours of 10:00am – 4:00pm when UV rays are strongest. But remember that invisible rays can reflect up toward you from the ground, so you may still need protection.
• Check the UV Index (http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html) when planning outdoor activities.
• Be aware of reflective surfaces (water, cement, and sand), as they increase your chances of getting burned by the sun's rays.
• You are just as likely to get too much sun on a cloudy or hazy day as you are on a sunny one. UV rays are strong enough to burn your skin even on cloudy days.
• Rinse off when you come indoors or at the end of the day.
• A child’s delicate skin, if left unprotected and exposed to the sun’s harshest rays, can be damaged in as little as 15 minutes, but it can take up to 12 hours for skin to show the full effect of sun exposure. So, if your child's skin looks "a little pink" today, it may be burned tomorrow morning. To prevent further burning, get your child out of the sun.
  
  Additional Resources:
  
  Play it Safe in the Sun: A Guide for Parents – US Centers for Disease Control
  Protecting Your Child from the Sun – American Academy of Pediatrics

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