Sun Protection for Children

Sun damage in childhood is one of the most important causes of skin cancer in adults. Not only is children's skin more vulnerable to damage by the sun's rays, but people on average get 80% of our lifetime sun exposure by age 18. Bad sunburns in childhood risk the later development of malignant melanoma (the most dangerous type of skin cancer). The less dangerous forms of skin cancer are due to long term, regular sun exposure. People who work or play outdoors and overexpose themselves to the sun will develop wrinkled, freckled dry skin and eventually skin cancers. People who vacation at the shore, or lay out on weekends will risk melanoma. Read more...

Picnics, baseball games, pools, and beaches -- parents and kids are gearing up to head out for fun in the sun. But too many parents still aren't adequately protecting either themselves or their children from the sun's harmful rays.

A new study shows that although parents are aware that sun exposure is dangerous, kids wearing sunscreen spend much more time in the sun than kids who don't, even though sunscreen provides only partial protection. What's more, many parents still emphasize the importance of that tanned look. Read more...

Protect Yourself From The Sun

Summer is a great time to have fun outdoors. It's also a time to take precautions to avoid sunburns, which can increase your risk of skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays appears to be the most important environmental factor involved with developing skin cancer. During the summer months, UV radiation tends to be greater.

To help prevent skin cancer while still having fun outdoors, regularly use sun protective practices such as

• Seek shade, especially during midday hours (10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage.
• Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.
• Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
• Grab shades that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
• Rub on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.

It's always wise to choose more than one way to cover up when you're in the sun. Use sunscreen, and put on a T-shirt... Seek shade, and grab your sunglasses... Wear a hat, but rub on sunscreen too. Combining these sun protective actions helps protect your skin from the sun's damaging UV rays.

UV rays reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays will also reflect off any surface like water, cement, sand, and snow. Additionally, UV rays from artificial sources of light, like tanning beds, cause skin cancer and should be avoided.

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