As the schools in Ireland plan to reopen, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is urging parents to take care of the children from possible sun burn. The officials give detailed precautions before going out for children as well as adults to prevent skin cancer, which is a result of direct Ultra Violet exposure coming from the Sun. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland, yet is largely preventable by protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation from the sun or artificial sources.
Exposure to UV radiation during childhood is particularly harmful so protecting skin during childhood is extremely important, the HSE warns through their official website. To protect yourself from this it is better to stay exposed to the Sun between 11am to 3pm, when UV is strongest. Other precautions and health advise are as follows:
Slip on clothing: Cover skin as much as possible, wear long sleeves, collared t-shirts, clothes made from close-woven material that does not allow sunlight through.
Slop on broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen: Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30+ for adults and 50+ for children, with high UVA protection and water-resistant. Reapply regularly. No sunscreen can provide 100% protection, it should be used alongside other protective measures such as clothing and shade.
Slap on a wide-brimmed hat: Protect your face, ears and neck.
Seek shade: Sit in the cover of trees to avoid direct sunlight. Use a sunshade on your buggy or pram. Keep babies and children out of direct sunlight.
Slide on sunglasses: Guard your eyes against harm by wearing sunglasses with UV protection.
Do not deliberately try to get a suntan. Avoid getting a sunburn. Never use a sunbed.
Protecting your child’s skin
· For children up to 1 year old, it is best to keep them in the shade and wear clothing that covers their skin when outdoors.
· It is better to protect babies up to 6 months old from sunlight by using shade and clothing rather than sunscreen. You may choose to use sunscreen sometimes on small parts of your baby’s skin. If you do, choose a sunscreen that is for babies such as sensitive or toddler sunscreen.
· Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a part of sunlight. It can damage the skin and increase risk of skin cancer.
· Children’s skin is very sensitive to UV from the sun. Sunburn during childhood increases the risk of getting skin cancer as an adult. If your child is badly sunburned more than 3 times before the age of 20, they more than double their risk of skin cancer as an adult.
· In Ireland, UV from the sun is strongest from April to September between 11am-3pm, even when it is cloudy.
For more info: https://www.hse.ie/sunsmart?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sunsmart&utm_content=30082021
Source: National Cancer Control Programme by the HSE.