Now that the heat of summer is upon us, I wanted to remind all of our families about the importance of sun safety.    Repeated, prolonged exposure to the sun causes premature aging of the skin and also leads to a significant increased risk of skin cancer later in life.   During the hottest part of the day, from 10AM to 4PM, skin can become damaged in a matter of minutes though symptoms will not show for several hours after the burn has already occurred.  Therefore, waiting until your child’s skin is pink or hurting is waiting way too long. 

In order to lessen the risks of being in the sun, I advise patients to avoid sun exposure during the mid afternoon whenever possible.  The use of sunscreen is a MUST.  In general, an SPF of 15 to 30 that blocks UVA and UVB  is sufficient and should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure to allow for maximum effectiveness and should be reapplied every four hours.   “Waterproof” sunscreens will only be effective for about 30 minutes of water activity.  After this, your child should be dried off and have sunscreen applied again. 

The use of these simple measures can not only keep your summer activities and vacations free from the pain and inconvenience of sunburns but will also help keep your child healthy for years to come.