Maggie McKay (Host): Welcome to Long Live Childhood, a pediatric health and wellness podcast presented by Rady Children's Health. I'm Maggie McKay. And here to help us understand UV safety and awareness is Dr. Maria Buethe, Division Chief of Dermatology at Rady Children's Health Orange County. Thank you so much for here today, Dr. Buethe.

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Thank you so much for inviting me.

Host: So, a lot of parents associate UV exposure with hot sunny days. How can families better understand UV risk cloudy days, cooler days, or during different seasons?

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Yes, that's a great question. So unfortunately, temperature itself is not a proxy for UV exposure. We have UV exposures even across mild days, and that's actually been associated with sometimes—you know, like families and all of us honestly, we think that if the sun is not out there, maybe the need of applying sunscreen or, generally speaking, sun protection habits may not be as relevant.

But unfortunately, what we know is that the sun and UV exposure, that really goes through clouds. So a cloudy sky, you can still get sun exposure, as well as altitude. So for example, even if you are experiencing a nice cooler day in the mountains, that's actually a prime scenario for UV exposure.

So yes, the main take home message is that clouds, unfortunately, do not eliminate UV exposure and we should really be trying to attempt sun protection and sunscreen across different temperatures

Host: Every single day, right?

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Yes, every single day.

Host: What are some of the environments where receive significant UV exposure without parents even realizing it?

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Well, we can think about at school, especially during recess, and really between like 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, where recess most often happens. Those are some of the times in the days with the highest peak in UV exposure. Another place is definitely like water parks and just like pools. UV light, it goes through the water up to, we'll say, like one meter in depth. So, a child that is swimming may still not be protected from the sun.

Also, we should remember that swimming can more quickly wash out the sunscreen. And so, that protection that maybe we have just applied, that may not be there after like few a minutes after swimming.

So, those all factors and they're very important. And as we said before, high altitude. So, the snow going like skiing, that's also an environment with a higher, higher rate of UV exposure.

Host: Are there certain ages or developmental stages UV protection is especially important and why?

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Yes. So, let's start from birth. So in the first, especially in the first six months of life, the skin barrier is not as mature yet. That means this is a particular delicate time in a child's life. On top of that, least up to now, we do not have sunscreen that are approved before six months of age.

And so, for the CDC, for example, the recommendation is to really don't expose that young child before six months of age to direct sunlight in the first place. But I would say that, for the infant. So, that first year and toddler, that skin barrier and ability to fight UV exposure still immature. So, it really keeps developing in the first two months of life. And so, I would really be cautious or at least be even more mindful about practicing sun protection.

Host: With many children participating in outdoor sports, camps, and recreational activities, what practical strategies can help ensure constant UV protection throughout the day? Like, they go to the beach with their friends and you're not there.

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Absolutely. So, something that we always recommend is not just thinking about sunscreen when we think about sun protection, but also about think about sun-protective clothing. With sunscreen, they should really be reapplied every two hours. And most of the time, that is not really realistic and feasible, that every two hours application.

So, also adding some protective clothing that can allow that stable and more continuous protection that may not not be as easily pursued with just the sunscreen. And there are several brands that develop from regular clothing to rash guard, which is suitable for daily life and also the pool.

Host: What are your thoughts on the type sunscreen? Like, there's spray, which is so convenient, but I always think is that as effective as putting lotion on? Because it seems like half of it would going into the air. I mean, what you think?

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Yes. When we think about sunscreen, the main categories that we characterize is like chemical sunscreen and mineral sunscreen. And that really, like even beside formulation, we have chemical sunscreen that have to be applied at least 15 minutes before sun exposure, and they are the ones that have a level of penetration into the skin. While the mineral sunscreen, they just sit on top of the skin and they reflect the light.

Now, with sunscreen, it also comes in different types of formulation. Of course, the spray maybe is definitely easy. And what we like about those is that especially if you are by yourself, it allows application to, for example, like the mid-back, which are areas that we cannot easily reach.

So, I would say that that is definitely better than not applying sunscreen at all. But to your point, yes, it does have the caveat that like you may not achieve as much sun protection as you think you are.

Host: Is there anything else in closing that you'd like add that you'd like to leave people with to think about?

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Well, yes. One thing that we haven't mentioned is that exposures can also be indoor. So unfortunately, we have UV exposure through glasses, especially UVA, which is is that type of UV light that that is more connected with like a chronic skin damage, and eventually also like skin aging.

Regarding the glasses and the side windows in the car, many models now offer some protection against UVB. But again, it's that UV light that is UVA that is really challenging to eliminate. So also, remember that you do want to some protection throughout the day and throughout different environments, indoor and outdoor.

Host: Well, thank you so much sharing your expertise. This has been so useful and helpful and lot of good information to remember, especially for summertime, but year-round, like we said. So, thank you again.

Maria G. Buethe, PhD: Thank you very much.

Host: Again, that's Dr. Maria Buethe. To find out more, please visit choc.org/dermatology. Thank you for tuning in to Long Live Childhood, pediatric health and wellness podcast brought to you by Rady Children's Health. For more insightful conversations about kids' health wellbeing, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Together, we can help keep kids happy, healthy, and thriving. If you enjoyed today's episode, please consider downloading, subscribing, rating, and reviewing Long Childhood on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or Pandora. Your support truly means a lot. I'm Maggie McKay, and thank you so much joining today. Until next time