When your child suffers blisters with her sunburn, you feel terrible, too. You might wonder what you did wrong or how she got so sunburned. Children will get between 50 and 80 percent of their lifetime sunburns before they turn 18, the KidsHealth website warns, because their skin is tender and they do not think to take precautions such as staying in the shade, getting out of the sun if they feel burned or reapplying sunscreen during a day outdoors or after swimming or exercise.
How Blistering Sunburns Occur
Children, like adults, have different levels of melanin, or protective pigmentation, in their skin. Some children can be in the sun for hours without a burn, whereas those with more fair skin might only be able to tolerate a few minutes safely. Sunburn is the skin's reaction to over-exposure the the sun's ultraviolet rays. These rays cause damage to the skin, which causes blood to rush to the skin, creating the red look of a sunburn. Blistering is an indication that the sunburn is severe.
Effects of Sunburns
The effects of sunburns and too much exposure to the sun in childhood can be serious. In the short term, blistering sunburns make the skin vulnerable to infections if the blisters break prematurely. Your child might also be in severe pain, especially if he goes outside or is near a heat source. In addition to the short-term effects of sunburns, childhood sunburns may lead to skin cancer as an adult, the MedlinePlus online medical encyclopedia warns.
Treatment of Sunburns
There are few effective treatments for sunburns. Applying aloe will help keep the skin hydrated and reduce peeling. If your child is old enough to have a pain reliever, give him an age-appropriate dose of a painkiller meant for children in his age group. Finally, if he has blisters, wrap them gently in gauze to prevent them from breaking or becoming infected. If your child tries to peel the skin from the sunburn, wrap the affected area in gauze so he can't get to it as easily. Discuss prevention and treatment of sunburn with your child's pediatrician during your next visit.
Preventing Sunburns
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that all children, regardless of their skin color or tone, use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor --- commonly abbreviated SPF --- of 30 or higher. If your child is fair-skinned, you can purchase sunscreens with SPFs of up to 100. Use a sunscreen that is appropriate for her activity --- a waterproof sunscreen if she is swimming, for example. Reapply sunscreen every two hours. Avoid going out when the sun is at its peak intensity, between 10 am and 4 pm, and try to keep your child in the shade as much as possible.
References
- St. John Providence Health System: Sunburn and Children
- MedlinePlus; Sunburn; April 27, 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Sunburn Treatment: What Works?; Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.; April 14, 2011
- KidsHealth; Sun Safety; August 2010
- American Academy of Pediatrics; 2011 Summer Safety Tips -- Sun and Water Safety; 2011
