The importance of sun protection for your child
Why do you need specific sun protection for your child?
Have you decided to take your baby to the beach or to the mountains?
The sun will also be present, with all of its inherent dangers.
Young children’s skin is immature and does not have all of the defence mechanisms: protecting it against the sun is an absolute necessity.
To prevent any problems, discover why specific sun protection is indispensible.
• Because their skin is immature.
Your child’s skin is much more fragile than yours and does not have the same defences.
- It is finer and its structure is not yet finalised, hence its sensitivity.
- Its protective barrier function is deficient.
- The skin is poorly defended by an immature immune system against external attacks (UV).
- Their pigmentary system, designed to protect their skin, is still not very well developed.
- Finally, as children still do not sweat very much, this makes them more sensitive to temperature differences, heat stroke and dehydration.
• Because they are highly exposed.
In the mountains or at the beach, out for a walk or in a public garden, your child is on average 2 to 3 times more exposed than you are throughout the year!
• Because their skin has a "memory".
The skin records all of the damage to which it is subjected in early childhood.
This damage is cumulative and irreversible.
- Harsh sun exposure during childhood irreversibly damages the cutaneous defence system: the skin accumulates toxic free radicals, its ability to repair itself decreases and cell damage is definitive.
- Skin that has been weakened by sunburn, especially before the age of 10, will always remain vulnerable.
- Exposure to the sun favours an increase in the number of “beauty spots”, which multiplies the risk of developing a melanoma (skin cancer) at a later stage.Your child thus needs optimum protection that is practical to apply and resistant to water and sweat.
Related video: Dr Clarence de B. (dermatologist).