Health Feature Articles
Summer Sun Safety
Marilyn Preston, MA, Building Strong Families Extension Associate, |
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Whether you are going camping, going to the beach or simply heading out for little league games, it is more important than ever to remember sun safety. The American Cancer Society finds that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer (American Cancer Society, 2007), and the sun’s rays can have a negative affect not only on skin but on the immune system and eyesight as well.
With all of this information, it is important to protect your family’s health. The American Academy of Pediatrics came out with several important guidelines for sun safety that are easy to follow and simple to do.
Protecting your family is as simple as remembering two steps: Plan and Protect.
Plan ahead:
- Plan outdoor activities in the mornings or late afternoons to avoid the sun’s strongest rays, which happen between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- If you plan to be outside, make sure you put on sunscreen one half hour before going out, so it has time to work on the skin.
- Dress yourself and your family in clothes that protect against the sun. Hold the clothes up to the light to make sure they are made of tightly woven fabrics that will keep out the sun’s rays. Dress babies in light, long sleeved clothes.
- Hats and sunglasses help keep the sun out of people’s eyes. Check that the hat shades the ears and neck, too.
- If your child goes to daycare, summer school or camp, remember to pack a bottle of sunscreen in his or her bag every day.
Protect your family:
- Always use sunscreen with an SPF of over 15. Look for the words “broad-spectrum” on the label. Broad spectrum sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
- Put on sunscreen again after swimming, sweating or toweling off. Remember to do this even if you use waterproof sunscreen.
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours.
- Use sunscreen even on cloudy days.
- Zinc Oxide is a safe sun block that can be applied to the nose, cheeks and shoulders to give extra protection.
- Babies less than six months old should never be in direct sunlight. Keep them in the shade under trees, in strollers or under shelters.
Following these guidelines will help protect your
family this summer while you enjoy the weather and have
fun together!
Last Updated 05/05/2009
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