Sun Safety Tips to Prevent Skin Cancer
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
A day at the beach can be a welcome treat when the weather is warm, but a morning or a late afternoon trip is better for your children’s health. Too much sun can cause sunburn and, over time, skin cancer.
Anne Reilly, MD, Medical Director of the Division of Oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), wants parents to know about the risks of skin cancer and how to spend time outside safely. “The incidence of skin cancer is rising year by year,” she says. “And we are seeing more of it in younger patients. Parents need to know that prevention starts in childhood, by limiting exposure to the UV rays in sunlight.”
Her advice is simple: Reduce the chance that the sun will hit your child’s unprotected skin.
There are two main ways to do that:
If, despite these precautions, your child gets a sunburn:
For teenagers, Dr. Reilly has one further bit advice: Never go to a tanning salon. Tanned skin can be appealing to teenagers, but tanning beds are a known health risk — an invitation to skin cancer. We know that UV exposure causes skin cancer, so it makes no sense to choose to administer a high dose. Use indoor tanning lotions or sprays instead.
While skin cancer is rare in children — it generally develops in adulthood after repeated exposure to sun, starting in childhood — parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of melanoma. Contact your primary care provider if you notice a mole that:
Contributed by: Anne F. Reilly, MD, MPH
Categories: Health Tip of the Week