It is the time of the year that they like the most. They play, run, swim, and dive into the pool and the sea with all that abandon that makes them unique. The boys enjoy the summer like no one else, but for all that enjoyment to avoid irremediable effects on their skin, parents must be attentive to that giant that is present throughout the day, the sun.
We must be aware that sunbathing at a moderate time is healthy for our health, if we exceed that time limit we can suffer serious consequences, remember that the sun is cumulative and many of its effects can be long-term.
Skin cancer is caused by cumulative sun exposure throughout one’s life, especially during childhood and adolescence. Every burn, tan, or effect of sun radiation experienced up to this point is remembered by the skin.
Skin cancer is more likely in children who have several of the following characteristics:
- Those who have a fair or very light complexion (they burn easily and rarely get brown). These are mainly children with blond or red hair.
- Skin cancer is more likely in people who have a family history of it, especially melanoma.
In their initial years of life, children are exposed to the sun on a regular basis. Having had several sunburns of any kind in childhood, or at least 2/3 (blistering) sunburns, is an unique predictor of risk.
Those who have moles that are “rare” or uncommon in appearance. A large number of moles or freckles also increases your chances of acquiring skin cancer later in life. Freckles show a high level of susceptibility to the sun’s harmful effects.
The significance of avoiding
Because children and teenagers spend more time outside than most adults, especially during the summer, they absorb the majority of their lifetime solar exposure during their first 18 years. Protecting the skin of a baby or child from the sun’s rays not only avoids sunburn at the time these precautions are taken, but also helps to prevent the onset of more serious disorders in the future.
Furthermore, children must be adequately hydrated while exposed to the sun, thus we must provide them with liquids, particularly water, on a regular basis. It is important to note that, even though photo protectors are an extremely useful weapon to protect them from the sun, they are not 100% effective in all cases, nor do they 100% prevent the risk of sunburn. For this reason, it is recommended, in addition to creams, to use other protection methods such as a hat, sunglasses or t-shirts.
It is convincing that, in children, the less sun, the better, since sun exposure in childhood and sunburns can affect the future risk of skin cancer. In any case, numerous resources allow us to carry out adequate photoprotection without children having to deprive themselves of their games or their summer baths.
