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You have the most pleasant feeling in the world when you watch your child playing on the beach, in the sand, by the sea. But no matter how much you like to see him happy and comforted by the sun, the specialists recommend you to pay more attention to the methods by which to protect him from sunburn.
Baby skin and sunscreen
The baby’s fine skin is extremely sensitive to UV rays. Thus, sunscreen is very important for the little ones, as it is for adults. The ultimate goal is to avoid sunburn, which is a risk factor for skin cancers. This disease has become more widespread among the young population, so the means of prevention reduce much of the risk associated with sunburn.
“Exposure to UV radiation and sunburn are the most important risk factors in melanoma cancer, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. 5 sunburns up to the age of 18 double the risk of developing melanoma during life. ”, shows Dr. Irina Nasturică, dermatologist at Dr. Leventer Center.
A first tip would be to avoid, as much as possible, any exposure to the sun and UV radiation of children under 6 months, as indicated by skin health specialists. SPF creams with a chemical filter are not recommended in this age group, as they cannot be metabolized and excreted by the baby’s skin.
Mineral sunscreen creams can be used for children’s skin only after the age of 6 months. It is recommended to use the products with the highest protection factor, namely UV50.
“The protection of the child’s skin from UV rays is done, first of all, with the help of photoprotective creams that protect against both UVB and UVA radiation. For children, mineral filter creams, which do not enter the skin and which make a white film on the surface of the skin and reflect UV rays, are preferable. ” explains Dr. Irina Nasturică.
At the same time, it is important to avoid sun exposure during peak hours, ie between 10:00 and 16:00, when the solar radiation is very strong.
How do you apply a sunscreen?
In children, sunscreen should be applied to all areas exposed to the sun and then reapplied every two hours, and even more often than that, if a child swims or sweats a lot. Whatever is written on the package, there is no SPF cream that is 100% water resistant.
Therefore, reapply SPF each time the child comes out of the water. Do not forget to follow the same routine for you, as an adult, because the strength of personal example is the most important in the process of forming the child.
What other methods of skin protection are recommended in summer
No matter where you go on holiday with your little one, either in the mountains or at sea, follow the rules of sunscreen.
If in terms of sun protection with creams, we clarified, it is important to know how you could increase the level of skin protection, because it is achieved through appropriate clothing, experts say.
In summer, your child should wear light but covering clothes made of natural materials, such as cotton and linen, to allow the skin to breathe, wide-brimmed hats to protect the face, ears and neck, sunglasses with UVA + UVB filter .
Moreover, the protection of the skin in nature also involves avoiding insect bites. If you let your child fly through the grass or in the woods, it is important to cover his legs and arms. It is not recommended to spend the evening near waters, lakes or in places where many mosquitoes gather.
Educate the child not to touch the buzzing insects or spiders in nature, nor to disturb the nests of wasps, bees or ants. Also, use age-appropriate insect sprays with confidence and be careful not to over-apply them.
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