It's never too early to save your skin - or your children's - from the sun. The sun produces invisible rays - ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) - that can cause short- and long-term skin damage.
The immediate effects of harmful sun rays - sunburn, photosensitive reactions (rashes), and cell and tissue damage - are bad enough. But medical experts believe that too much exposure to the sun in childhood or adolescence is a major cause of skin cancer and premature skin aging later in life. Health experts also believe that UVA may weaken the immune system.
You can take steps early and often to minimize the sun's harmful effects. Using sunscreens and sun-protective clothing can reduce your children's risk of skin damage later in life. It's important to understand the labeling information on sun protection products and shop carefully before heading to the beach, tennis court or park. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) carefully monitors advertising claims in this area and offers this information to help you make wise purchasing decisions.
Sunscreens provide some protection by blocking the sun's rays on the skin. They are labeled with a sun protection factor (SPF): the higher the SPF, the greater the protection against harmful sun rays. But no sunscreen totally blocks the sun's rays. Even people wearing high SPF sunscreens get some exposure. To minimize the damage:
Sun-protective clothing is another way to help protect children from the negative effects of the sun. Sun-protective fabrics differ from typical summer fabrics in several ways. Sun-protective fabrics typically have a tighter weave or knit, and usually are darker in color. And, garments made with these fabrics generally have a label listing the garment's Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) value, that is, the level of protection the garment provides from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. The higher the UPF, the greater the UV protection.
The UPF rating indicates how much of the sun's UV radiation is absorbed by the fabric. For example, a fabric with a UPF rating of 20 allows 1/20th of the sun's UV radiation to pass through it. This means that this fabric will reduce your skin's UV radiation exposure by 20 times where it's protected by the fabric.
Garments with a rating over UPF 50 may be labeled UPF 50+; however, these garments may not offer substantially more protection than those with a UPF of 50. Also, a garment should not be labeled "sun-protective" or "UV-protective" if its UPF is less than 15. In addition, sun-protective clothing may lose its effectiveness if it's too tight or stretched out, damp or wet, and has been washed and worn repeatedly.
To help protect children from the sun's damaging effects:
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in this country. Medical experts are diagnosing it more often than ever, especially in young people. They believe too much sun exposure in the early years may be responsible.
Two types of skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell, usually are treatable if detected early. Basal cell often develops on the face, ears, lips and around the mouth of fair-skinned people.
Squamous cell usually appears as a scaly patch or raised, wart-like growth. Melanoma, another type of skin cancer, is the most dangerous. It can occur anywhere on the body. Early detection is crucial for successful treatment.
Factors associated with increased risk of developing skin cancer include:
To learn more about skin cancer or skin damage, contact your family doctor, dermatologist, or:
Cancer Information Service (CIS)
1-800-4-CANCER
http://cis.nci.nih.gov
American Cancer Society (ACS)
1-800-ACS-2345
www.cancer.org
American Academy of Dermatology
P.O. Box 4014
Schaumburg, IL 60168-4014
www.aad.org
The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.