The sun is strongest between 10am and 4pm. You need to apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure. You can get a sunburn on cloudy days or through windows.
Babies under six months should be covered with shade rather than sunscreen. Sometimes that’s not practical. Use hats, lightweight clothing to cover their bodies, canopies and stroller umbrellas. Always consider shade with your baby. You can use a tiny bit of sunscreen on your baby when needed.
The best sunscreen for your roaming children is the sunscreen they will use. There are two types of sunscreen: the kind with physical barriers and the kind with chemical barriers. Physical barrier sunscreens have zinc oxide or titanium oxide to reflect the sun back off the body. Chemical barriers are absorbed into the body and react with the sun.
Eye health is very important. Be sure your children have hats and sunglasses. Pack hats, sunglasses and sunscreen when your older children head to camp.
Sunburn Treatment
- Avoid the sun the day after getting a sunburn.
- Apply a cool washcloth to pained areas.
- Use an aloe cream.
- Head to the doctor if a fever or blisters appear.
Before enrolling your child in sports camp, ask the coaches if the children get regular water breaks. They need to be on board with keeping your child hydrated. Headaches, muscle cramps, and nausea are all signs that your child may be overheated. Get some water and shade. Stop the activity until the child recovers.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion occurs if heat stress isn’t arrested early. The skin is hot and flushed. Sweating has ceased. Heart rate is rapid. Lack of urine is also an indicator. This is dangerous.
Listen as Dr. Corinn Cross joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share how to practice sun safety this summer.
Dr. Corinn Cross was born and raised in New Jersey. She attended Barnard College where she graduated cum laude and majored in philosophy. She went on to attend the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, NJ, where she was selected for the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Cross did her internship and residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Cross has continued to work at CHLA as a general pediatrics attending.