Sun Safety!
- Drink lots of water, though out the whole day. Now we can move on to the skin.
- Keep your skin healthy this summer. Sunblock everyday, even on cloudy spring days where the sunshine hidden behind clouds and threatening rainstorms can still cause burns. Slather on some SPF15-30, don't bother with anything higher - the benefits are minimal after 30. Apply 20-30 minutes before outdoor activity, and reapply every 2 hours. Look for zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in the ingredients, as these chemicals block the UV and offer protection. Use clothing when possible, heat permitting a long sleeve shirt can equate to SPF12, and wear hats and sunglasses. Try to stay out of the sun between 10am to 4pm, and try to stay out of the sun and in the shade whenever possible. AVOID tanning beds!!! (Ahem…. adolescent girls… and boys too… do not go to tanning salons).
- 80% of a person's lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 21… that's our patients!!!!! It's never too early to protect your skin.
- No matter what you tell us, the research shows less than 50% of parents implement the above practices at home… so… let's go for 100% of the parents in our practice using prevention and 0% increasing our kids' risk of skin cancer okay?
- Avoid pesty bug bites with DEET on camping trips… that citronella stuff smells okay and is natural but doesn't really scare the mosquitoes away.
- Wear longs sleeves when possible, avoid times when mosquitoes are likely to be active.
- Check for ticks every day, including skin folds and the scalp. (The chance of Lyme disease being transmitted is very low when the tick has only been on the child for less than 24 hours, so if you are checking every day, and the tick wasn't there yesterday, then you can have a bit more peace of mind that the tick will probably not cause any problems… just try to pull it out with a sturdy grasp with tweezers and call us if a rash appears).
- Coming soon… but basically, pools are safest with a fence around them, kids should be supervised at ALL times, even if they are only playing with 1 inch of water… that's all it takes to drown! Learn how to swim. And put on sunblock… see above.
- Infant/toddler car seats should face the BACK until at least 2 years old. Even if the child is tall and the legs are squished, remember that kids are flexible and usually adjust well. Rear facing car seats protect their necks better than front facing.
- Children should stay in the car seat until at least 4 years old and 40 pounds.
- Next step is the booster seat, until 8 years old and 4' 9".
- Front passenger seat only at 13 years old and above.