Apply sunscreen to children several times and plenty

Experts: Apply sunscreen to children several times thick
In the summer holiday but also at home, parents should pay attention to a sufficient sun protection with their offspring. According to experts, five sunburns in childhood already double the risk of skin cancer in adulthood. The sunscreen is best applied thickly several times a day.

When creaming should not be saved
Parents should keep their children protected from the sun from an early age to minimize the risk of skin cancer later on. Although it does not need a special child sun cream, but as for adults, the motto is not to save on creaming. The experts of the Professional Association of Children and Youth Physicians (BVKJ) also see this, who write on their website "kinderaerzte-im-netz.de" that parents should apply sunscreen products abundantly and repeatedly to their children.

Parents should always pay attention to a sufficient sun protection with their offspring. The children should be creamed several times and plenty. (Image: nadezhda1906 / fotolia.com)

Apply sunscreen thick
According to the doctors, the little ones should be lubricated every two hours or after they have been in the water, or have sweated. Sunscreen with an SPF above 30 should be applied thickly and rubbed a little. It should also reach those skin areas that can not be protected by clothing. Dr. Ulrich Fegeler, pediatrician of BVKJ admonishes: "Remember to distribute the cream evenly. Do not forget the ears, hands, feet, shoulders and neck and lips. Protective clothing, such as a sunhat with a brim, sunglasses, and avoiding the sun during peak periods, such as between 11:00 and 16:00, are equally important. "

Do not expose infants to direct sunlight
According to Dr. However, Fegeler should not use sunscreen to prolong his stay in the sun, as they have only limited effectiveness. According to the statements, the creams did not lower the risk of melanoma but may even increase it due to a false sense of security. According to the BVKJ, infants should not be exposed to direct sunlight at all. "Do not let children stay in the water too long. On the one hand, the water reflects the sun's rays and on the other hand, even waterproof agents do not last indefinitely. The term 'waterproof sunscreen' only describes that the sunscreen in the water is not completely lost. After about 40 minutes in the pool, these creams have lost about half their effectiveness, "Dr. Fegeler.

Knowledge about need of sunscreen
In any case, many consumers often use sunscreen with insufficient protection, as they also misjudge the effect of the sun protection factor. As the experts explain, a double sun protection factor (sun protection factor = SPF) does not mean that children are allowed to stay in the sun twice as long. Accordingly, SPF 10 still transmits about ten percent of the UV radiation, SPF 30 about three percent and SPF 50 about two percent. The BVKJ also refers to a study published in the journal "Pediatric Dermatology" on its website. Parental knowledge about risk factors and the need for sun protection in southern Germany is therefore "good, but not perfect". Surveys have revealed that parents assume there is no danger in overcast conditions. However, even with clouds, 50 to 80 percent of UV radiation can reach the earth. (Ad)