One
in five children will grow up to develop skin cancer. Because protecting skin from the sun during childhood and adolescence is
important to reducing the risk of cancer later in life, it's vital that
parents become educated about sun safety, take steps to protect their
kids against the damaging effects of the sun and build safe sun habits
into the family routine.
Skin Cancer Facts
The statistics on skin cancer are alarming:
- Forty-eight percent of sunscreen users who have had a sunburn in the past
two years said it happened during their first time out in the sun after
months of little to no sun.1
- One in five children will grow develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime
- Over half of all new cancers are skin cancers
- Skin cancer is the fastest growing type of cancer
- According to the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year
- An estimated 10,590 people will die of skin cancer this year, 73 percent from melanoma
- The incidence of melanoma more than tripled among Caucasians between 1980 and 2003.
- Just one or two blistering sunburns in childhood may double the risk of developing melanoma.
- About 23% of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18.
- 27% of parents with kids under twelve years old say
they never or only sometimes apply sunscreen on their kids when they're
outside for 2 to 4 hours. And 14 percent say they don't even apply
sunscreen on their kids when they're outside for more than four hours.1
Kids at high risk
Children are highly susceptible to harmful UV radiation.
While everyone needs to
practice sun safety, some people are at higher risk of developing skin
cancer. Those at higher risk for skin cancer include individuals with:
- fair complexion and/or freckles
- light-colored hair and blue, gray, or hazel eyes
- skin that burns easily
- history of severe burns, many moles
- skin cancer in family (one or more close relatives with skin cancer).
Common sun myths
Here are some of the most common myths about sun safety:
- People who don't get sunburns don't get skin cancer
- People with dark complexions don't get skin cancer
- It's only necessary to use sunscreens while at the beach or the pool, not year round
- A suntanned body is a healthy body
- You can only get a sunburn in the summer
- You don't need to practice sun safety when you are sitting in the shade
- UV rays can't reach below the surface of water
- UV rays don't travel through clouds
- Tanning booths are a safe alternative to natural sun.
Sobering statistics
Getting kids to protect their
skin is a struggle. Many only think about sunscreen when they know they
are going to be outside all day, not when they are at practice or
games. Some don't wear sun block because they don't like the smell or
because they think it is messy.
Indeed, according to an
article in the April 2006 Journal of School Health, only 1 in 7 high
school students reported routine sunscreen use with an SPF of 15 or
higher when outside for more than an hour a day.
Efforts to educate teens on
sun safety appear to be gaining little or no traction: the same study
showed little change in sunscreen use in bi-annual surveys between 1999
and 2005.
Practicing safe sun habits
It's therefore critical for
parents to protect their children from the damaging effects of the sun
no matter what they are doing or the time of year. If a child is
outside she needs to be protected.
Build safe sun habits into
your family's routine. Lead by example: children are more likely to
practice sun safety if they see you protecting your skin.
Begin by teaching your children the American Cancer Society's easy and fun "safe sun habits": Slip! Slop! Slap!®:
- Slip! on a shirt.
Wear protective clothing (shirts and slacks made of tightly woven
fabrics that you can't see through when held up to the light) when in
the sun.
- Slop! on sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protective Factor) of 15 or higher (remember to reapply after swimming, sweating or toweling dry)
- Slap! on a hat with a wide brim that shades the face, neck, and ears.
- Plan outdoor activities to avoid the midday sun (the sun's rays are generally strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Other helpful tips
Here are some other helpful tips for parents:
- Teach your child the "shadow rule": if his shadow is shorter than he is, then the sun is high in the sky and UV rays are most intense
- Buy your child wraparound sunglasses to protect the eyes and sensitive surrounding skin
- Apply sunscreen every day on unprotected skin
- Keep an extra bottle of sunscreen in the car
- Pack sunscreen in your child's knapsack or sports bag.
- Teach your child to appreciate the beauty of their natural skin tone.
1. Consumer Reports National Research Center poll May 2009
Revised and updated July 9, 2013
Teaser title:
Sun Safety: Protecting Our Kids Against Skin Cancer
Teaser text:
With statistics showing that one in five children will grow up to develop skin cancer and that protecting skin from the sun during childhood and adolescence is important to reducing the risk of cancer later in life, it's vital that parents become educated about sun safety, take steps to protect their kids against the damaging effects of the sun and build safe sun habits into the family routine.