Sunscreen
It is summertime and for kids,
that means swimming, base ball and being outdoors. For parents, summertime is not
so carefree.
Parents need to be
concerned about their children being properly protected when they are enjoying the
sunshine, which leads to a lot of questions about skin protection.
Sun exposure is a
concern because ultraviolet rays are the number one cause of skin cancer. The American
Cancer Society reports on their website that there were 59,940 new cases of skin
cancer in 2007.
There are many myths
about sunscreen, and questions often arise about how much to use and how often.
According to American
Cancer Society¹s website, parents should protect children with sunscreen 20-30 minutes
before sun exposure. The website suggested that 1 ounce (a palmful) should be used
to cover legs, arms and faces.
Most sunscreen loses
its effectiveness after 3 years in your medicine cabinet.
Community Hospital-Fairfax LPN
Ashlee Driskell answers the common question about how often sunscreen needs to be
applied.
If you reapply SPF
30 sunscreen every hour, you should be well-protected.² she said.
It is important to
remember that sunscreen does not give you total protection. When using an SPF 15 and applying
it correctly, you get the
equivalent of 1 minute of UVB rays for each 15 minutes you spend in the sun. So,
1 hour in the sun wearing SPF 15 sunscreen is the same as spending 4 minutes totally
unprotected.
To help parents and
kids remember the essentials of skin protection, the American Cancer Society tell
people to use the ³Slip, Slop, Slap² method:
Slip on a shirt: Cover
up with protective clothing to guard as much skin as possible when you are out in
the sun. Choose comfortable clothes made of tightly woven fabrics that you cannot
see through when held up to a light.
Slop on sunscreen:
Use sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Apply
a generous amount of sunscreen (about a palmful) and reapply after swimming, toweling
dry, or perspiring. Use sunscreen even on hazy or overcast days.
Slap on a hat: Cover
your head with a wide-brimmed hat, shading your face, ears, and neck. If you choose
a baseball cap, remember to protect your ears and neck with sunscreen.
If you have questions
about skin protection, contact Community Hospital-Fairfax Director of Clinical Services,
Rhonda Evans, 660-686-2211 ext. 248.