Sunburn Tips to Share with Kids

The weather is warming up, the days are longer and there’s more time to be outside doing all kinds of fun things! But if you're going to be out in the sun, especially on a hot day, you need to stay safe. Let's find out how.

Don't Feel the Burn

Even though the sun is hot, it does cool things. It keeps us warm. It makes flowers and plants grow. It even gives us vitamin D so we can better absorb calcium into our bodies for strong bones.

It does all these things by sending down light, which includes invisible ultraviolet (say: ul-trah-vye-uh-lut) rays. These are also sometimes called UV rays. Some ultraviolet rays pass through air and clouds and penetrate the skin. When your skin's been exposed to too many of these rays, you get what's known as a sunburn. Ouch!

Some people get a sunburn faster than others because of their coloring. If you have blond or red hair, light-colored skin, and light-colored eyes, you'll tend to get a sunburn more quickly than someone with dark eyes and skin. That's because you have less melanin (say: meh-luh-nun). Melanin is a chemical in the skin that protects the skin from sun damage by reflecting and absorbing UV rays. People with darker skin have more melanin, but even if you have dark hair, dark eyes, or darker-toned skin, you can still get a sunburn. It will just take a little bit longer.

Sunburns look bad and feel worse. They can cause blisters on your skin. They can keep you inside feeling sore when everyone else is outside having fun. They increase your chance of getting wrinkly when you get older. And worst of all, they can lead to skin cancer when you get older. Because getting wrinkles and getting sick don't happen right away, they can seem like things that could never happen to you. But you still need to be careful.

Prime Time

You don't need to hide from the sun completely or wrap up like a mummy to protect yourself. But you should take these two steps:

1. Always wear sunscreen.
2. Take frequent breaks from the sun by going indoors or moving into the shade.

These steps are especially important between 10:00 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon, when the sun's rays are strongest.

Use a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15 or higher. Put on sunscreen 15 to 20 minutes before going out in the sun. If you are fair skinned, you should use a sunscreen with a higher SPF rating such as SPF 30. The letters SPF stand for sun protection factor, and the number rating tells you how much longer you can stay in the sun without getting sunburned. So if you normally burn after 20 minutes and you put on a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15, this sunscreen may give you 15 times the protection. That's 15 times 20 minutes, or 300 minutes (5 hours).

But this isn’t always true, so reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours, just to be safe. Do this more often if you've been swimming or sweating a lot - even if the sunscreen is waterproof. And remember that you can get sunburned more quickly when you're swimming or boating because the reflection from the water intensifies the sun's rays.

Be sure to put sunscreen all over your body. This includes some places you might not think of, like the tops of your ears, the back of your neck, the part in your hair, your face, and the tops of your feet. If you want to block the sun's rays, wear clothing that you can't see your hand through. You may still get burned through sheerer fabrics. Wear a fun hat to block your face from the sun.

Don't forget that your eyes need protection from ultraviolet rays, too. Always wear sunglasses in the bright sun, and make sure they have a label saying that they block UV rays.

Drink Up!

Drinking water is an important part of staying healthy, especially when it's hot outside. When you're sweating, you lose water that your body needs to work properly. And if you're playing a sport or running around in the sun, you lose even more water, because you sweat that much more.

So drink up and don't wait until you're thirsty - drinking before you feel thirsty helps keep the water level in your body from dropping too low when it's hot or you're sweating a lot with exercise. If you forget and suddenly feel thirsty, start drinking then. There are lots of cool-looking water bottles around, so get one you really like, fill it up, and drink up!

Got That Hot Feeling?

If you're out in the hot sun, or you're exercising on a hot day, it's easy to get heat exhaustion. Kids get heat exhaustion when their bodies can't cool themselves fast enough. A kid with heat exhaustion might feel overheated, tired, and weak.

Heat exhaustion can come on suddenly. A person may just collapse when playing soccer or tennis, for example. It can leave a person feeling really tired for days after it happens.

Heat stroke is a more serious heat-related illness and can cause a person to stop sweating, to have red, hot skin, and to have a high temperature. The person might become uncoordinated, confused, or even lose consciousness. It requires emergency medical attention.

Be sure to tell an adult if you're hot and you have a headache or feel dizzy or nauseous (like you're going to throw up). The grown-up will want to get you out of the sun, give you liquids to drink, and take you to a doctor, if necessary.

The good news is that the sun doesn't have to be your enemy if you wear your sunscreen, drink your water, and take breaks when you start to feel too hot. And don't forget your sunglasses. Not only do they protect your eyes from the sun, they make you look so cool!

Updated and reviewed by: Kate Cronan, MD
Date reviewed: August 2007

More Sun Safety Tips!!

Sun Safety Tips
It's natural to enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities! Baby Banz, Inc. encourages you to be safe by following these sun-safety tips year-round to help prevent serious skin damage—and possibly skin cancer—later!

* Keep in mind the sun is strongest between 10 am and 4 pm.
* Wear clothing that's dark and tightly woven, includingUV protective swimwear .
* Wear a wide-brimmed sun hatand sunglasses.
* Remember that UV rays bounce off sand, snow, concrete, and water.
* Do not use sun tanning beds.
* Keep very young children (6 months or less) out of the sun.
* Sunscreensneed to be applied liberally and evenly over all exposed areas.
* Apply a sunscreenwith a SPF of 15 or higher whenever you're outdoors. To achieve adequate UV protection you should use products that provide broad spectrum protection, which means protection against both UVB and UVA rays. For broad spectrum protection, look for products that provide an SPF of at least 15 and contain ingredients like Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) or zinc oxide.
* For children, Baby Banz recommends sunscreenwith an SPF 30 or higher.
* Apply sunscreenbefore going outdoors and reapply often.
* Reapply sunscreen after swimming, perspiring, and toweling off.
* Provide complete sunscreencoverage for your skin (including neck, ears and lips!).
* For people with thin or thinning hair, apply sunscreento the scalp as well.
* And remember - stay in the shade whenever possible!

Why reapply sunscreen when you can wear UV Rash tops?

Why bother reapplying that sticky, smelly cream or gel throughout the day when all your children need is sun protection clothing? By wearing a Baby Banz swimshirt or swim suit, your children will protect the sensitive skin on their backs and shoulders.

There are many drawbacks to wearing only sunscreen for protection from the sun. Typically, people do not apply enough sunscreen or they apply it unevenly. There have even been some studies that question the overall effectiveness of sunscreen as typically used by the average consumer. Many people may even forget to use sunscreen on their children until an hour or more after sun exposure has already begun. To add to all these difficulties with relying on sunscreen for UV protection, heat, water, wind, humidity, and perspiration may also decrease a sunscreen's effectiveness.
Studies have also shown most people apply sunscreen after sun exposure begins and may take up to one hour to apply it to their children. Since sunburn can occur within minutes, large quantities of sunscreen must be applied to all family members before going outside.

Experts agree that sun exposure should be limited as best as possible. Children are most especially at risk of extended sun exposure as they love to run around at the pool, park or beach.

Unlike sunscreens, the protection your children will get from UV protective clothing is reliable all day long. Perfect for day camps, outings at the beach or park, or just anytime in the sun. Unlike full body sunscreens the protection is not dependent on the amount applied, temperature, humidity.

Wear our sun protective clothing and hats (we do!); all of our clothing is from top manufacturers and is rated to offer excellent sun protection. Apply a thick coat of high quality sunscreen on all exposed skin before going outside and reapply after swimming and sweating. Try to avoid the peak UV hours of between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Try a couple of shirts for the beach or swimming pool. Your family will love them and you will notice virtually no sun effect (tan or sunburn) on the covered areas!

Baby and Child Sun Protection

Playing in the sun is a fun outdoor activity for children. But, the sun can be dangerous. Recent medical research shows it is important to protect children from overexposure to the sun. Skin damage is cumulative - adds up over a lifetime - and starts with that first sun exposure.It is estimated that 80% of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18. Sun protection with regular use of sunblock with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 or higher during the first 18 years of life can lower the risk of certain skin cancers by 78%.

The two types of ultraviolet sunlight that can damage the skin are Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays. UVA rays are the slow-tanning rays that penetrate deep into the skin and age the skin prematurely. UVB rays cause burning of the skin and are considered the major cause of skin cancer. Young children are dependent on adults to take the appropriate precautions in providing sun protection. As a parent of a young child, there are several precautions you can take to help protect children from future health problems related to the sun.

Follow these simple guidelines to help minimize the risks of excessive sun exposure.

• Keep children out of the midday sun from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (daylight savings time 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).

This is the time when the sun's rays are the strongest. If outside activities are held between these times, play in a shaded area. Sit or play in the shade, especially when your shadow is shorter than you are tall.

• Use a sunscreen.

Before your child goes outside, apply a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher. The protective ability of sunscreen is rated by SPF - the higher the SPF, the stronger the protection. SPF numbers indicate the length of time one can spend in the sun without risk of burning.

When using an SPF 15 sunscreen, a fair-skinned person who normally sunburns in 20 minutes of midday sun exposure may tolerate 15 times 20 minutes (300 minutes) without burning. Apply as much sunscreen as you would a lotion for dry skin. Spread it evenly over all uncovered skin, including ears and lips, but avoiding eyelids. Apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming or excessive sweating. Teach children to use a sunscreen regularly, like they use a toothbrush and toothpaste.

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Help your child find a hat with a wide-brim that protects the eyes, ears, face and back of the neck. Have your child shop with you to find a hat the child will enjoy wearing.

• Wear 100% UV protective sunglasses.

Sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays greatly reduce sun exposure, protecting the eyes and eyelids.

For infants and active toddlers, a sturdy, protective and durable frame with a strap to keep them in place is just the thing to have!

• Wear UPF 50+ protective clothing and swimwear.

Loose-fitting clothes that are tightly woven are a good choice. For swimming and other water activities, choose swimwear that has a built-in UPF of 50+.

• Be aware of ground surfaces.

Ground surfaces such as sand, cement and white painted surfaces reflect the sun's rays. In the water, ultraviolet light penetrates three feet deep.

Summertime is not the only time of the year children need to be protected from the sun. Snow reflects from 80 to 90 percent of the sun's rays. The sun's damaging effects are increased by reflection from water, white sand, and snow. Wear Ski goggles with UV protection to protect in winter!

• Practice the "shadow rule."

Look for shade when your shadow is shorter then you are tall.

Avoid sunburn.

It may take only 15 minutes of midday summer sun to burn a fair-skinned person. These include children who are fair-skinned, with light, red, or light-brown hair; blue, green or gray eyes. Since parents and child-care workers become role models to children, they need to set an example and follow the sun protection guidelines.