Protecting Your Skin During the Summer Months

Cincinnati Children’s doctor gives tips on how to prevent sunburn and skin cancer

Monday, January 01, 0001

According to the American Cancer Society, most of the more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the United States are considered to be sun-related. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, accounts for about 8,110 of the 10,850 deaths due to skin cancer each year. Medical experts believe that too much exposure to the sun in childhood or adolescence is a major cause of skin cancer and premature skin aging later in life. 

Marty Visscher, PhD, Director,  Skin Sciences Institute  at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, explains that some people do not understand the dangers of prolonged sun exposure. “During the summer months, it is critical that people use sunscreen and sun-protective clothing to reduce their risk of sun damage,” Dr. Visscher said. She said the best sunscreen protection will have an SPF number of at least 15 or higher and it should be applied liberally to the skin at least once every hour for maximum protection. “People can never be too careful about putting on sunscreen,” said Dr. Visscher. There are many products which higher SPF levels. You will get a little more protection from an SPF 30 than from SPF 15, but not twice the protection.

According to the federal trade commission (FTC), some of the dangerous effects of sun exposure on the skin include sunburn, photosensitive reactions (rashes), and cell and tissue damage. However, Dr. Visscher explains that there are several precautionary methods that people can take to make sure they don’t harm their skin from too much sun exposure.

Dr. Visscher, along with the FTC, advises the following ways for people to protect themselves from the sun: 

• Use water-resistant sunscreens that help protect skin from both UVA and UVB rays and that have SPF numbers of at least 15. Dr. Visscher wants people to remember that that sunscreen will wash off in water and it should be reapplied frequently at a minimum of every hour and more often if a person is drying off and removing the sunscreen with the towel. Dr. Visscher also reminds people that the sun exposure is actually higher when they are around water, due to the reflection effects of the water.
• Apply the sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going out into the sun.
• The nose and lips get high exposure and often require use of sun blocks, containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide, so look for these ingredients on the label.
• Parents speak with camp counselors to make sure they apply and reapply their sunscreen on their child (or at least supervise the child when he or she is applying the sunscreen.
• Keep babies younger than six months out of the sun. Sunscreens may irritate baby skin, and an infant's developing eyes are especially vulnerable to sunlight. 
• Wear sun-protective clothing that lists the garment's Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) (the level of protection the garment provides from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays).
• Parents need to limit their child’s playtime during the hours when the sun is at its strongest peak, which is between 10 am and 3 pm, in the summer months. If a person is outside during these peak hours, he or she needs to remember to take breaks in the shade.

About Cincinnati Children’s

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is one of 10 children’s hospitals in the United States to make the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Reports 2009-10 Americas Best Children’s Hospitals issue. It is #1 ranked for digestive disorders and is also highly ranked for its expertise in respiratory diseases, cancer, neonatal care, heart care, neurosurgery, diabetes, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. One of the three largest children’s hospitals in the U.S., Cincinnati Children’s is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

President Barack Obama in June 2009 cited Cincinnati Children’s as an island of excellence in health care. For its achievements in transforming health care, Cincinnati Children’s is one of six U.S. hospitals since 2002 to be awarded the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The hospital is a national and international referral center for complex cases. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.