Have you been wondering how to treat and prevent sunburn in children?
In this video I’m going to cover what to do when your child gets a sunburn, the best
practices to prevent it, and how to choose a safe and effective sunscreen.
The majority of sun damage to skin occurs in childhood, and that’s why it’s so important
to have a routine in place to protect your child from getting sunburns.
Oftentimes its assumed that sunburn can only happen when the sun is shining brightly.
But the ultraviolet rays are just as likely to cause sunburns on cloudy days as sunny
days.
So what are the best things to do if your child gets a sunburn?
Typically within 6 to 12 hours after exposure, the skin will get red, warm and painful with
a sunburn.
In severe cases the skin can blister and the child can have fever, chills, headache and
feel tired.
If your child shows symptoms of having a severe sunburn, they should be seen by a healthcare
provider.
The first thing that helps in treating a sunburn is applying cool compresses to the burned
areas using a towel or paper towel dipped in cool water.
Or you can have your child bathe in cool water instead.
When drying the skin, be sure to pat the affected area dry instead of rubbing it.
Next we want to bring back some moisture to the burned skin, and help it heal by applying
a topical moisturizer.
A great natural option is the aloe vera plant.
If you have one growing at home, you can cut a portion of a leaf to use.
Some stores do sell individual aloe plant leaves as well.
After cutting a piece off the leaf, split that portion in half.
Then apply the aloe sap to the skin and let it dry before dressing your child.
Another option is to purchase aloe vera oil.
Putting the aloe vera leaf or oil in the refrigerator to cool before applying will have the added
benefit of decreasing the stinging and itching associated with sunburn.
There are also aloe containing after sun products that you can get.
And these will help as well.
However if you want to avoid putting the added chemical ingredients that they contain onto
your child’s skin, go with using the aloe vera plant leaf or oil.
It’s best to continue to moisturize the skin every day until the sunburn fades.
In some cases the skin will peel.
Even in this situation, continue to moisturize.
Also try to avoid additional exposure to the sun until the skin heals up and peeling stops.
If the burned skin develops blisters, don’t break them because skin breaks will actually
increase your child’s risk for getting a skin infection.
If any of the blisters pop, wash them with gentle soap and water, and apply an over the
counter antibiotic ointment.
Keep a close eye on that area of skin for signs of infection.
If the skin starts to become more red, warm, swollen, painful or you see pus coming out
from under the skin, your child should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
Sunburn can be very painful for some children and if necessary, it’s fine for you to give
acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief.
Also while your child is recovering from the sunburn, be sure to keep them well hydrated
with water.
Now let's talk about the things you can do to prevent sunburn.
In general the time between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon is when the ultraviolet
rays tend to be the strongest.
Therefore it’s best to limit being outdoors during that time of the day.
For babies who are less than 6 months old, since their skin is thinner and more sensitive,
it’s recommended to avoid using sunscreen.
The following are the forms of sun protection to do instead.
Keep your baby in a shaded area, and if you can’t find shade, create your own using
an umbrella, stroller canopy or the hood of the stroller.
Also dress your baby in sun-protective clothing that’s lightweight and loose fitting, and
covers the skin.
Putting on a wide brim hat and sunglasses will also provide additional sun protection.
For children 6 months and older, it’s recommended to apply sunscreen at least 15 to 30 minutes
before heading outdoors.
And it’s important to reapply at least every 2 hours.
In situations where your child is swimming, sweating a lot or wiping the body off with
a towel, reapply sunscreen even sooner than 2 hours to provide protection from sunburn.
Now let’s talk about the qualities that make for the best and safest sunscreens to
use on babies and children.
There are a lot of options out there.
And it can be overwhelming to decide which one to go with.
Since babies and younger children have more delicate skin, it’s at higher risk of becoming
irritated by things that are applied to it.
That’s why I think that the type of sunscreen you use really does matter.
The number one thing that I recommend paying attention to when choosing a sunscreen is
that it’s a mineral sunscreen instead of a chemical sunscreen.
When you look at the active ingredients on the bottle look for it to contain zinc oxide,
titanium oxide or both, and no additional active ingredients.
A mineral sunscreen is safer and better to use because it does not get absorbed into
the skin, but instead it sits on top and serves as a protective barrier that deflects UV rays.
Oftentimes the mineral sunscreens leave a visible white layer on the skin.
And this is normal and can be used to your advantage as a way for you to know where you
missed applying some.
The thing about the chemical sunscreens is that they work like a sponge.
They get absorbed by the top layer of the skin and act by absorbing the UV rays.
Although they have been shown to be effective, chemical sunscreens have a higher risk of
irritating the skin, especially in babies and young children.
These types of sunscreens tend to be easier to rub into the skin without leaving a white
residue.
The active ingredients typically include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate,
or octinoxate.
Unfortunately I’ve noticed that some brands, including popular baby brands, do this tricky
thing where they state on the bottle that it’s a mineral based sunscreen, but as part
of the active ingredients they still include one or several of the chemical sunscreens
along with either zinc oxide, titanium oxide, or both.
So even if it states that it’s a mineral sunscreen, I recommend that you take a close
look at the active ingredients.
Make sure that it only states zinc oxide, titanium oxide, or both of them.
Another feature to be on the lookout for is that it’s a broad spectrum sunscreen.
This will provide protection against UVA rays, which penetrate deeper into the skin and UVB
rays which typically cause sunburns.
Go with a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher.
And it’s better to get sunscreen in the form of a lotion instead of a spray.
While spray on sunscreens take less time to apply, they are thinner in consistency and
don’t provide as good protection as a lotion.
There is also a tendency to miss spots of the body when using a spray.
Another concern is that if a child breathes in the sunscreen particles when it’s sprayed,
this can cause irritation of the lungs.
If you only have a spray sunscreen available, it’s best to spray it into your hands first
and then rub it onto the child’s skin, rather than spraying it directly onto them.
Lotion sunscreens generally provide more protection because they’re thicker, and we tend to
do a better job of applying them than spray on sunscreen.
So to summarize, the ideal qualities of a sunscreen to use on an infant and child is
a mineral sunscreen that is broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, and in the form of a lotion.
See you in the next video.