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Help Your Children Avoid Skin Cancer Decades Down the Line Avoid the sun and tanning beds You may think skin cancer is an unlikely threat to children. Skin cancer is an adult problem, right? But 80 percent of our lifetime sun exposure takes place before age 18, experts say — and the sun causes most skin cancer. That’s why the American Cancer Society wants you to protect your children from the sun. The society’s advice? Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a broad-brim hat and wrap sunglasses over kids’ eyes. “Each blistering sunburn before the age of 18 can double the risk of skin cancer years down the road,” says pediatrician Christine Hara, M.D. “We have an obligation to get our kids out of the sun.” The American Academy of Pediatrics says young children are prone to sunburn because they spend so much time outdoors. Meanwhile, teens put themselves at risk seeking the perfect tan. Parents who rely on sunscreen may not go far enough. Studies show parents use just a quarter of the amount of sunscreen necessary to protect kids — at least an ounce. The dark side of sunlight What is it about the sun that makes it so dangerous? Sunlight emits invisible ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Two kinds of UV rays are harmful to your skin and eyes: UVA rays can cause prematurely aged skin, wrinkles, brown spots, cataracts and other eye damage. UVB rays can cause sunburn and skin cancer and can harm your eyes. “More than 1 million people in the United States get skin cancer each year. That equals half of all cancers,” says Dr. Hara. “There are 7,600 deaths per year from skin cancer, which equals one person per hour.” And it’s not just sunlight that poses a risk — tanning beds and sunlamps also can cause skin cancer. Dr. Hara also cautions that while people with fair skin should be especially careful in the sun, those with dark skin also can get skin cancer. Ban the tan To head off problems: Slather sunscreen on your child half an hour before going out. Reapply every two hours. Use an ounce of sunscreen (two tablespoons) with a blocking power of at least SPF 15. Have your child wear a hat with a 2- to 3-inch brim. A baseball cap doesn’t cover the neck or ears, which are common sites for skin cancer. Select clothes for your child that are tightly woven. They should be opaque when you hold them up to the light. Darker colors offer more protection. Have your child avoid sitting out in the sun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Purchase lightly tinted sunglasses with UV protection to shield your child’s eyes. Send sunscreen to school and camp. Encourage adults to make kids use it. Don’t expose babies less than 6 months old to the sun. If you take a baby out, use protective clothing. Ask your doctor about applying sunscreen to the face and back of hands. Remember that sitting under a tree or umbrella doesn’t protect your baby’s tender skin from the sun’s rays bouncing off the sand — baby can still get a sunburn. Suggest that your teens use sunless tanning cream. It’s better than sitting in the sun or going to tanning salons. Tell your teens that suntans lead to early wrinkles and make skin look prematurely old. Christine Hara, M.D. What to look for in a sunscreen Look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater. SPF measures how well the sunscreen blocks the sun. Look for sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide — they help prevent damage from both UVA and UVB rays. Waterproof sunscreen is a good choice because it stays on for at least 60 minutes even when you sweat or swim.