Like countless numbers of other teenage girls, I spent many hours of my high school summer vacation lying out in the sun, determined to get a spectacular tan.
I truthfully can't remember if we knew back in the 1970s that excess sun exposure wasn't good for you, but it probably wouldn't have mattered, since I was 16 years old and clearly an expert in my own mind about, well, everything.
Flash-forward a few decades to the present, where I realize that I am actually an expert about, well, very little, and I have forgotten at least half of anything I ever learned. We now know that too much sun is bad news, but as a mother, I have precisely no time available to lie out in the sun anymore anyway.
I do have to be cautious each summer, however, since I still manage to obtain a precancerous glow, primarily from time spent sitting in the bleachers watching my son participate in various ballgames. (As an extra added bonus, I can rate the quality of the hot dogs in almost every concession stand in the Tri-State.)
A little sunshine supplies vitamin D and is good for you and your child, but too much leads to sunburn and other complications.
In addition to visible light, the sun radiates invisible, or ultraviolet (UV), rays to the earth. When UV rays hit your child's epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, they initiate an inflammatory response (redness, pain and swelling) and increase melanin (skin pigment) production in an effort to protect your DNA and keep it from mutating.
Increased sun exposure leads to greater and deeper DNA damage, which can lead to skin cancer.
There are two major kinds of UV radiation. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply, are more prevalent, and can cut through clouds and glass. They play a key role in wrinkle development and skin aging. UVB rays are the primary cause of sunburn. (There are also dangerous UVC rays, but they are generally blocked by the ozone layer.) Both UVA and UVB radiation can cause genetic mutations that contribute to the development of skin cancer.
To protect your child from the effects of the sun, be especially careful between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are the strongest. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you use water-resistant sunscreen with broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection and a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or greater. While some products advertise higher SPF numbers, it is at least equally important to ensure that you apply an adequate amount of sunscreen, since studies show that most people don't. To fully cover exposed skin, most adults need to use about an ounce per application, which is approximately the size of a golf ball or a full shot glass. Some experts advise against spray-on products due to the risk of inhaling the sunscreen ingredients, but others feel that they are easy to apply and safe if used carefully.
Reapply sunscreen about every two hours, sooner if your child is swimming or sweating heavily.
Try to apply sunscreen about 15 minutes before you head outdoors to give it a chance to soak into your child's skin, although honestly this involves a level of planning that I normally don't have in the summer months.
If, despite your best efforts, your child gets sunburned, there are things you can do to ease the pain. Push fluids to prevent dehydration and give an anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) to reduce redness, swelling and discomfort.
Over-the-counter or prescription hydrocortisone cream can relieve pain and itching, but avoid first aid creams that contain benzocaine, since they may irritate the damaged skin. Moisturizing creams or aloe gel can help burned skin retain moisture and provide comfort.
It is estimated that up to 80 percent of our lifetime sun exposure occurs in the first 18 years of life, so help your child develop the healthy sun habits that will prevent painful sunburns now, and avoid even more painful skin cancers later.
Dr. Betsy Neahring practiced pediatrics in Evansville for 10 years before (mostly) retiring to become "Daniel's Mom." Write to her at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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