FROM THE SUN. AS A MOM, I TRY TO REMEMBER TO MAKE SURE MY KIDS HAVE SUNSCREEN FROM HEAD TO TOE WHEN WE GO OUTSIDE. WE WENT TO SEE DR. JOE ARACARI, WHO SAYS THE MAJORITY OF SUN DAMAGE HAPPENS WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG AND YOU DON’T SEE THE EFFECTS UNTIL YOU’RE OLDER. WELL, THE BIGGEST RISK IS FOR MELANOMA, YOU KNOW, AND WE KNOW THAT THE ASSOCIATED WITH EXCESSIVE SUN EXPOSURE. SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PREVENT EXCESSIVE SUN EXPOSURE TO YOUR SKIN. SO YOU DON’T HAVE MELANOMA. AND MELANOMA CAN BE QUITE LETHAL. HE SAYS A BIG MISTAKE. PARENTS MAKE IS NOT HOW THEY APPLY SUNSCREEN, BUT WHEN. SO WHAT MOST PARENTS DO AND I SEE IT AT THE POOL ALL THE TIME IS, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS COME OUT AND THE SPRAY COMES OUT AND THEY START SUN SCREENING THE CHILDREN UP WHEN THEY’RE ALREADY AT THE POOL. REMEMBER, YOU WANT TO PUT THE SUNSCREEN ON BEFORE THE KIDS GET OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, SO YOU WANT TO DO IT A HALF HOUR BEFORE SUN EXPOSURE. FOCUS ON THE AREAS YOU DON’T TYPICALLY THINK ABOUT. SO SOMETIMES YOU GET BURNED RIGHT UP HERE. THE TOP OF THE EARS TOP OF THE NOSE, THE FOREHEAD IN BETWEEN YOUR ARMS. THOSE ARE REGIONS THAT ARE TYPICALLY MISSED, HE SAYS OLDER CHILDREN CAN APPLY SUNSCREEN THEMSELVES, BUT KEEP AN EYE ON HOW WELL THEY DO. DO YOU DO IT LIKE THAT WHEN I’M NOT LOOKING? YEAH. OKAY. DOES YOU WANT TO USE WHAT’S CALLED AN ELEMENTAL SUNSCREEN ON THE FACE? SO THESE ARE SUNSCREEN ONS THAT HAVE ZINC OXIDE IN THEM. THEY’RE LESS OF THE CHEMICALS. THEY WON’T IRRITATE THE EYES AS MUCH. WHATEVER SUNSCREEN YOU CHOOSE, JUST DON’T SPRAY, BUT RUB IT IN TO YOUR SKIN AND INTO YOUR HAIRLINE AND UNDER YOUR CLOTHES. THIS SEEMS LIKE TOO MUCH MAGE. OH, NO, THAT’S NOT TOO MUCH. OKAY. WELL, I TYPICALLY DO IS I WILL DO A STREAK DOWN THE ARM AND MAKE SURE YOU’RE GETTING EVERY SURFACE. OKAY. IN BETWEEN THE FINGERS IS USE A MAKEUP BRUSH TO WORK IT INTO THE FACE. EVEN ON CLOUDY DAYS, EXPOSED SKIN CAN GET BURNED. AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GET A SUNBURN? YEAH. IT HURTS. YEAH. THAT ONE LAST YEAR WHERE I WAS WEARING MY BATHING SUIT, MY SHOULDERS. IF YOU DO SEE YOUR CHILD IS DEVELOPING A SUNBURN, WHAT DO YOU DO FIRST? YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO COOL DOWN THE SKIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, INCREASE THEIR HYDRATION AND MAKE SURE THEY’RE DRINKING LOTS OF WATER. AND THEN YOU WANT TO USE ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES LIKE MOTRIN TO HELP WITH THE PAIN. OKAY. SO THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SUNSCREEN ELEMENTAL AND CHEMICAL. THE ELEMENTAL CONTAINS ZINC, AND IT LITERALLY MAKES A BARRIER BETWEEN YOUR SKIN AND THE SUN. THAT TYPE OF SUNSCREEN ALSO CAN BE HYPOALLERGENIC. CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS. WILL THEY ABSORB THE UV RAYS? WHATEVER YOU USE, MA
4 Your Health: Best practices for kids and sunscreen
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Updated: 6:09 PM EDT Jun 21, 2023
Parents know that getting children outdoors is good for them. This summer, the chair of Allegheny Health Network's pediatrics department tells me it's crucial that kids play outside.But it's just as crucial to make sure their skin is protected from the sun.As a mom, I try to remember to make sure my kids have sunscreen from head to toe when we go outside. We went to see Dr. Joe Aracri, who says the majority of sun damage happens when you're young, and you don't see the effects until you're older."The biggest risk is for melanoma, and we know that's associated with excessive sun exposure," Aracri said. "So it's really important that you prevent excessive sun exposure to your skin so you don't have melanoma. And melanoma can be quite lethal."He says a big mistake parents make is not how they apply sunscreen, but when."What most parents do, and I see it at the pool all the time: The kids come out, and the spray comes out, and they start sunscreening their children up when they're already at the pool," he said. "Remember, you want to put the sunscreen on before the kids get outside. So you want to do it a half-hour before sun exposure."Focus on the areas you don't typically think about. Aracri said that "regions that typically get missed" include the tops of the ears, the tip of the nose, the forehead and in between the arms.Older children can apply sunscreen themselves, but keep an eye on how well they do."You want to use elemental sunscreens on the face. These are sunscreens that have zinc oxide in them," Aracri said. "They have less chemicals in them. They won't irritate the eyes as much."Whatever sunscreen you choose, don't just spray, but rub it into your skin up to your hairline and under your clothes. Use a makeup brush to work it into the face. Even on cloudy days, exposed skin can get burned."If you see your child is starting to develop a sunburn, what do you do? First, you want to cool down the skin as much as possible, increase their hydration, make sure they're drinking lots of water. And then you want to use anti-inflammatories like Motrin to help with the pain."There are two types of sunscreen: elemental and chemical. Elemental contains zinc, and it literally makes a barrier between your skin and the sun. That type of sunscreen can be hypoallergenic too. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays.Whatever you use, make sure to reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Parents know that getting children outdoors is good for them. This summer, the chair of Allegheny Health Network's pediatrics department tells me it's crucial that kids play outside.
But it's just as crucial to make sure their skin is protected from the sun.
As a mom, I try to remember to make sure my kids have sunscreen from head to toe when we go outside. We went to see Dr. Joe Aracri, who says the majority of sun damage happens when you're young, and you don't see the effects until you're older.
"The biggest risk is for melanoma, and we know that's associated with excessive sun exposure," Aracri said. "So it's really important that you prevent excessive sun exposure to your skin so you don't have melanoma. And melanoma can be quite lethal."
He says a big mistake parents make is not how they apply sunscreen, but when.
"What most parents do, and I see it at the pool all the time: The kids come out, and the spray comes out, and they start sunscreening their children up when they're already at the pool," he said. "Remember, you want to put the sunscreen on before the kids get outside. So you want to do it a half-hour before sun exposure."
Focus on the areas you don't typically think about. Aracri said that "regions that typically get missed" include the tops of the ears, the tip of the nose, the forehead and in between the arms.
Older children can apply sunscreen themselves, but keep an eye on how well they do.
"You want to use elemental sunscreens on the face. These are sunscreens that have zinc oxide in them," Aracri said. "They have less chemicals in them. They won't irritate the eyes as much."
Whatever sunscreen you choose, don't just spray, but rub it into your skin up to your hairline and under your clothes. Use a makeup brush to work it into the face. Even on cloudy days, exposed skin can get burned.
"If you see your child is starting to develop a sunburn, what do you do? First, you want to cool down the skin as much as possible, increase their hydration, make sure they're drinking lots of water. And then you want to use anti-inflammatories like Motrin to help with the pain."
There are two types of sunscreen: elemental and chemical. Elemental contains zinc, and it literally makes a barrier between your skin and the sun. That type of sunscreen can be hypoallergenic too. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays.
Whatever you use, make sure to reapply every two hours and after swimming.
