When do I need to protect my children from the sun? The sun's rays are vital to our body's ability to maintain proper immune systems, metabolism and other functions. It is the Ultra violet rays of the sun that help our body produce vitamin D much as photosynthesis affects plants and living organisms. However there is a point at which too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing.
The point at which a child's exposure to the sun is excessive depends on several factors. The main factor is that child's ability to handle the ultra violet sun rays. This is affected by their skin tone and their natural complexion. If your child is a toe headed blonde, then they will be more susceptible to the damaging effects on excessive ultra violet rays than if your child has relatively darker skin and darker complexion.
This can also be affected as your child slowly increases their skin tone as the result of a suntan. If your child is likely to tan then they may be able to stand slightly more sun rays as they tan. This amount won't be greatly increased but rather just slightly.
The point at which you should protect child from the sun is actually anytime they are going to be exposed to it for more than a few minutes. Therefore if your child is going to go out in the sun at all then they should be protected with a sun block or protectant. Naturally the lighter their complexion the greater the protection.
The age of the child will also affect how drastically the sun can damage them. An infant or toddler is much more susceptible to the damaging effects of ultra violet rays than a child that is a few years older. To protect an infant you should take other measures besides sun block or protectant. You should keep them out of direct sunlight by keeping them in the shade.
An indication that your child has had too much sun is that they are starting to burn. This may sound obvious but many people misunderstand the potential long term damages that are caused by sunburn. Sunburn if serious enough can greatly increase the potential for skin cancer.
There are times that the sun is more dangerous than others. Obviously if the sun is directly over head then the protection your child receives will need to be greatest. The sun is highest at noon; it is at this time that it is a good idea to avoid direct sunlight. If on vacation or at the beach, this is a good time to go get some lunch in an eatery that has a protected patio or inside dining. While picnics are a great idea, having to go get lunch at noon limits the chances of being exposed to the sun at the most dangerous time of the day.
Keeping your child covered in clothes at certain times of the day can help protect them. You may not wish to put them in a long sleeve turtle neck because this is not realistic and they will be entirely too warm, you should have them wear a T-shirt and then apply a protectent on exposed areas. Covering your Childs head and eyes is also important. Hats and sunglasses provide additional protection and your kids will probably think they are cool.
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