The sun can damage a child's skin because of ultraviolet or UV radiation. These UV rays can get through the earth's protective ozone layer and cause changes to a child's skin. The American Academy of Dermatology website calls ultraviolet A or UVA rays "aging" rays because they cause wrinkles, age spots, and tans. Ultraviolet B or UVB rays are "burning" rays because they cause sunburn, which can happen within 15 minutes of being out in the sun. Repeated sun exposure and sunburns and can lead to skin cancer, such as melanoma.
Why Is Sun Exposure in Children Harmful?
Children's bodies are growing and developing, which also includes their skin. Babies and young children have thinner skin compared to adults, which makes them more sensitive to sun exposure. They burn more easily and quickly on all unprotected parts of their body, including their head, especially if the child does not have the protection of hair.
Sun Exposure Builds Up Over Time
Damage from the sun accumulates, and it starts at an early age, increasing the ultimate risk of developing skin cancer. Almost 25 percent of a person's lifetime sun exposure is acquired before age 18). Children get a lot of sun exposure during outdoor activities, and children with fair skin, light hair, freckles, or moles are at greater risk for sunburns and the development of skin cancer. However, all children should use sun protection.
Why Is The Sun So Harmful?
The sun's radiation can actually damage your DNA, the strands of genetic code inside our skin cells. Scientists think that humans lack an enzyme, or repair protein, found in plants and most other animals, called photolyase, that helps to find and quickly repair sun-damaged DNA. UV rays destroy the structure of DNA, which human cells can repair to a certain extent, but over time, this damage to the DNA can lead to mutations that cause cancer.
Why Does The Skin Get Discolored in the Sun?
The top layer of skin has a dark brown pigment called melanin, made by a special type of cell called a melanocyte. Various amounts of melanin result in people having different skin colors, ranging from fair to dark. Melanin protects the deeper layers of skin from the sun, forming a shield of pigment against harmful UV rays. So for protection, the body produces more melanocytes when exposed to the sun, making a child look darker or suntanned. Darker skin, which has more melanin, naturally gives more protection from the sun, but even so, children with darker skin can develop sun damage and need to use precautions when playing in the sun.
How To Protect Children from the Sun
The Centers for Disease Control website offers tips for children to safely enjoy the outdoors and decrease their risk for developing skin cancer later in life. Children should avoid playing in midday, when UV rays are strongest and most harmful, and stay in the shade as much as possible. They should wear protective clothing, including a hat and sunglasses, and apply sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection and a sun protection factor or SPF of at least 15. Sunscreen should be applied at least 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapplied after a child swims or exercises, including waterproof sunscreens.
