How Can I protect my child from the sun’s harmful rays?

[SkinSpirit]

Follow these simple steps to sensible sun protection:

1. Keep infants out of the sun for the first 6 months of life.

2. Limit the amount of time your child spends in the sun.

3. Schedule outside activities for early morning or late afternoon.

4. Keep you children in the shade. Strollers with hoods and canopies provide shade from babies and toddlers.

5. Dress your children to minimize exposure to the sun's rays.

·        Choose clothes that are made from tightly woven fabrics, such as unbleached cotton.

·        Choose wide-brimmed hats that shade your child's face, scalp, neck, and ears (not baseball caps!)

·        Choose sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

·        Choose sunglasses (rated to clock close to 100% of the sun's UVA and UVB rays.

6. Cover a much skin as possible with long-sleeved shirts and long shorts.

Be especially careful to protect your child from the sun:

·        On cloudy or hazy days. Clouds do not block most UV rays and you may not be aware of the potential for sunburn.

·        Around surfaces that can reflect the sun's damaging rays onto the skin such as sand, water, cement and snow.

·        In areas with a high altitude or tropical climate where the sun's UV rays are stronger.