Sun protection for children: stay tuned!

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MunichEven if the summer in Germany has taken a short break: No reason to hide the sun lotion in the cosmetics cabinet again. UV radiation remains dangerous, especially for children.

Sunburn is not only downright painful. The high-energy UV rays of sunlight cause damage to the genetic material of the cells, especially in childhood. And they can lead to the development of skin cancer many years later.

Parents are responsible

Although this connection is now part of general knowledge, the number of skin cancer cases has been increasing for years, warns the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). In a joint press release from her ministry and the BfS, Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks warns, especially during vacation time, when children often play outdoors for many hours. "Children need sun protection a long time before they can decide for themselves," adds BfS President Wolfram König.

The second half of summer is particularly risky. Not least because many parents overestimate the ability of children's skin to protect itself from the damage caused by UV light. Their cells produce - depending on the skin type - more or less melanin, which is deposited as a visible "suntan" in the top layer of the skin and already absorbs a lot of the harmful radiation. However, this protection is only effective to a very limited extent - if you stay outdoors for a long time, uncovered areas of the skin in particular should also be protected with a sufficiently high sun protection factor. Particular care should be taken when staying near the water because its surface reflects the short waves of UV light.

Full effect only after half an hour

Sunscreen is available in many forms, such as an oil, lotion, foam, or spray. What they all have in common, however, is that they need a certain amount of time after application to develop their full effect. Experts therefore advise applying the protection about half an hour before coming into contact with the sun.The sun protection factor should be at least 30, and even more for sensitive skin. And: It should be renewed in the course of the day by re-creaming, especially if part of the protective effect is lost prematurely through sweating, bathing and drying off. In the hours of the most intense radiation, i.e. between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., children in particular should avoid direct sunlight, advises the BfS.

Damages add up

Repeated sunburns in childhood are considered to be one of the main risk factors for the development of black skin cancer (melanoma). The short-wave and therefore particularly high-energy UV components of sunlight cause minor damage to the genetic material of the cells, which can add up over the years and ultimately lead to the degeneration of the skin cells.

Melanomas grow particularly aggressively and tumor cells can spread to other organs (metastasize) very early on. Thanks to new methods of early detection, the chances of recovery are significantly improved today. In particular, people with light skin should be examined by a dermatologist on a regular basis. (jr)

Source: Joint press release by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety

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