Skin Care For Children
The effect that the sun`s rays have on the skin should not be underestimated. Just because you cannot feel UV rays does not mean you do not need to protect yourself and your children.
Young children are especially susceptible to burning even with only low exposure to the sun. Any young child that becomes burnt will face an increased risk of developing skin cancer in later life. Babies should be kept in complete shade. Wherever possible the use sun canopies, parasols and pram covers are encouraged when away from the home.
It is also important to protect older children from the effects of the sun. If they are going to be exposed to direct sunlight for longer than a few minute`s adequate measures should be taken to protect the skin.
One of the best ways of satisfying the desire of children to play outdoors and still keep them safe is to try and ensure they stay in the shade. As most gardens generally don’t tend to offer a lot of natural shade this can leave children dangerously exposed. However, one way to overcome this lack of shade is with the addition of well placed retractable awnings. These types of sun canopies allow the user to create a large shaded area that at the touch of a button. The ease of use makes sun awnings a very popular for homes with young children and are now increasing in popularity in schools and nurseries.
In addition to providing as much shade as possible, a large number of other measures can be taken to protect children from over exposure to the effects of the sun`s rays.
Sun cream should be applied liberally to exposed areas of skin and should be of a factor no lower than SPF15 (the higher the better) not only before exposure to the sun but also every couple of hours or as directed on the bottle. After swimming it is important to apply the cream again as the effects of the water and drying off using a towel can rub areas of the cream away without realising.
To aid in the protection of skin, try to ensure long sleeved tops and trousers are worn whenever possible. The best material for blocking UV rays is tightly woven fabric like denim or many synthetic fabrics. For extremely hot climates it may also be an idea to invest in specialist sun suits that offer a level of SPF. These types of suits will actively block UV rays to varying levels.
One final and often overlooked area of protection from the sun is the eyes. Encourage children to wear sunglasses (should conform to BS EN1836:1997) that will filter the light entering their eyes and never let them look directly at the sun as this can cause irreversible damage to occur.
