Sun-Smart Your Family

by Julie Duhame

“Sun-smart” habits protect your skin while you enjoy exercise and the outdoors. Sun exposure helps us make vitamin D, which is important for good health. However, too much sun causes sunburn, skin cancers, premature aging, cataracts, and even a weakened immune system. Sun damage adds up year after year, so while children are out getting fresh air and exercise, they are accumulating much of their lifetime sun exposure. Alarmingly, skin cancer rates in B.C. have doubled in the last 15 years, which calls for a shift in how we think about sun safety.

An easy rhyme to “Sun-smart” your family is: Seek, Slip, Slap, Slop and Slurp.

Seek out the shade
Stay out of direct sunlight when it is strongest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Schedule activities in the safer early morning or late afternoon hours to ensure children still get ample outside playtime. Find natural shade or set up an umbrella, but keep in mind that reflective surfaces such as water, sand or concrete make the sun stronger. The sun’s rays can even penetrate clouds and windows.

Slip on clothing that covers arms and legs
The best clothing to wear is tightly woven fabric to block UV rays. If you can see through the material, UV rays can get through and damage the skin. Keep clothing loose and cover up with long-sleeve shirts and pants.

Slap on a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
When selecting sunglasses for the family, colour or darkness doesn’t matter. Your sunglasses should be labeled with 100 per cent UVA and UVB protection. Snug-fitting glasses with larger lenses, or ones with a wrap-around design are best. If choosing prescription glasses, look for lenses that have UV protection.

If you combine sunglasses with a hat, UV radiation to the eyes decreases by up to 98 per cent. Choose wide-brimmed or mullet-style hats that shade the face, ears and neck.  
    
Slop on sunscreen
What matters most in a sunscreen is the UV protection it provides. Many choices are available, so concentrate on the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) on the label. SPF 30 is not twice as effective as a 15, rather it blocks out about twice the UV rays. No sunscreen blocks all UV radiation. Buy a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and is at least an SPF 15 that suits your skin type and activity. Use water-resistant sunscreen if exercising, swimming or sweating.

You get the best protection if you apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside, and be generous! Remember to apply lotion to the ears, face, neck, tops of the feet and underneath clothing straps and edges to protect the skin during movement. No matter what, always re-apply sunscreen every two hours. Sunscreen can be easily wiped or perspired off so you need to keep putting it on to get the best protection.

Some children need to be extra careful, for example:

• those with moles on their skin, or those whose parents have a tendency to develop moles

• those with light-coloured skin and hair

• those with a history of skin cancer in their family

We all need protection from UV rays because all tanning or burning causes skin damage.

Infants have thinner skin and under-developed melanin and burn more easily than older children. Sunscreen should not be applied to babies under six months of age, so simply keep them out of the sun. If your infant must be in the sun, dress him or her in clothing that covers the body, including hats with wide brims to shadow the face. An umbrella or stroller cover can help shade them too.

Slurp lots of water often
Drink water to protect against heat-related illness. Too much sun can cause fainting, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. This can happen when children become overheated and dehydrated, and is often accompanied by sunburn. Call your doctor if your child has an unexplained fever over 102˚F (38.9˚C), sunburned skin that looks infected, or has trouble looking at light (a sign of sunburn of the eye’s cornea). Seek immediate medical attention if your child has nausea, vomiting, fainting, diarrhea or confusion after sun exposure.

In General
• Tanning beds use UVA rays which damage the skin. A UVA tan does not protect skin from sun damage; it merely produces colour and a false sense of protection from the sun. Untanned skin is naturally beautiful!

• Medications (especially antibiotics and acne medications) can cause sunburn in just minutes. Ask your pharmacist if any of your prescriptions or over-the-counter medications can increase sun sensitivity.

• Be a good role model. Be “Sun-smart,” Seek shade, Slip on protective clothing, Slap on a hat and sunglasses, Slop on sunscreen and Slurp lots of water. These healthy habits are the kind you won’t mind if your children copy! For more information, go to the Vancouver Island Health Authority’s website at www.viha.ca—click on the Health and Safety link or find your local Public Health Unit by clicking on the Finding Care link—or check out www.bchealthguide.org.

Julie Duhame is a Public Health Nurse at the Peninsula Health Unit, Vancouver Island Health Authority—South Island.