How to Prevent Children's Sunburns

There's no doubt that sunburn is painful. As a parent, trying to soothe a child's sunburn is often accompanied by concern about what permanent damage might have been done to your child's skin. However, taking precautions to prevent children's sunburns can save a little pain and a lot of worry. Read on to learn how to prevent children's sunburns.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Loose cotton clothing
• Sunscreen, SPF 15 or higher
• Hats

Prevent Children's Sunburns With Sunscreen

1. Purchase a sunscreen product with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, no matter what your child's skin tone. The SPF is protecting your child from the damaging rays of the sun, which don't discriminate between a child who burns easily or one who tans.

2. Apply sunscreen approximately half an hour prior to sending your child outside. Use as much sunscreen as is necessary to completely cover your child's skin, and don't forget about vulnerable areas like the tips of his ears or the back of his neck.

3. Re-apply sunscreen frequently, at least every three hours, or sooner if your child is swimming or sweating hard. Also, make sure to continue applying sunscreen to her whole body even if she will be wearing a shirt or shorts after swimming. Thin and wet fabrics allow for less sun protection than most people think, and must be used in conjunction with other sunburn prevention measures.

4. Replace sunscreen products yearly. The active ingredients degrade over time, so last year's sunscreen isn't nearly as effective as it was when it was first purchased.

Prevent Children's Sunburns With Other Options

5. Cover infants and young children carefully. Children younger than two-years-old are particularly susceptible to sunburn, as their skin is more fragile. Make sure they are wearing light clothing or have a fabric barrier between their strollers and the sun.

6. Employ the use of hats. Hats that provide shade for the neck and face are especially helpful in preventing sunburn. Think about buying safari hats or baseball caps that have a neck drape built in.

7. Avoid playing outside during the sun's peak hours. The hours vary depending on where you live, but it's a pretty good chance that if you avoid being outside during the warmest time of day, you will have escaped the most damaging rays.

8. Take new freckles seriously. While some children are always covered in freckles, if your child has developed a spate of new ones, it may be a sign that he is getting too much sun. Freckles are actually a sign of sun damaged skin.

9. Remember to take precautions in the wintertime as well. When sunlight reflects off the snow, it can cause a sunburn just as serious as the one caused by the hot summer sun.

Tips & Warnings

• Recent research shows that PABA (para-aminobenzoic-acid) containing sunscreens are safe to be used on children. However, if your child is susceptible to allergies, look for a perfume- and fragrance-free product.

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[sunny2556]

on 4/17/2009 his will not help to cure your current sunburn, but it will prevent you from getting another one. Get the right sun protection and use this tool to calculate your safe sun tanning time: http://www.sundicator.net/uv-calculator/