ESCF – European Skin Cancer Foundation – Children´s skin should get slowly accustomed to the sun

Bonn (dpa/tmn) – The best protection against skin cancer later in life is to avoid too much sun in the childhood. This is pointed out by the German Cancer Aid in Bonn. Therefore, babies should not be exposed to the sun at all, in the first year of their life and children and young people should not go to the solarium.

The skin can be slowly accustomed to the radiation by short stays in the sun, but sun burns have to be avoided.  In principle, you should stay in the shadow at noon from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Each child should be protected by wearing suitable clothes of closely woven material, as well as headgear, sun glasses, neck guard and shoes covering the back of the foot, as well as sunscreen.  According to the Cancer Aid the UV protection factor 30 or the test seal “ UV standard 801” are good identifications for sun protection clothing. Suitable sun glasses are marked with DIN E 836 and the standard UV 400.

The sun screen should have the sun protection factor 30, should contain no perfume and should protect against UV-A and UV-B radiation.  You should apply it thickly, evenly and repeatedly on all uncovered parts of the body, especially on the so called sun terraces like nose, ears and lips. While swimming, children should wear a t-shirt and should be creamed again after swimming.

According to experts the doubling of the skin cancer cases in the last ten years in Germany are caused by UV induced skin damages, which we get in the early childhood or in the youth. Children´s skin has another structure than the skin of adults and is therefore particular sensitive for the harmful UV rays.

Source:  ESCF – European Skin Cancer Foundation

 ESCF – European Skin Cancer Foundation