Protect your children from the sun, and not only when we go to the beach or hiking

It is increasingly common that we do not forget to put children sunscreen before going to the beach, the pool or when we do some long outdoor activity, such as excursions. We even take the protector to replace it with the passing of the hours. But nevertheless, Protecting children from the sun in everyday life is not so common.

And although the level of exposure is lower than in the field, beach or pool situations, in summer the sun can burn the skin, and more so the delicate skin of a child, without needing to be so many hours exposed. We have to take into account the time they spend in the park and especially in the schoolyard, which is usually at the middle of the day, when the sun is more dangerous.

That is why we have to protect children from the sun in their day to day, and apply sunscreen on their face, arms and legs that are the most exposed parts. If the child is light skinned and has moles, it is even more important to apply the photoprotective cream.

Surely we are investing in the health of our children, because as noted by associations such as the Skin Cancer Foundation, the use of a photoprotector for the first 18 years of life reduces the risk of future skin cancer by 78%.

According to a study by the Cancer Observatory of the Spanish Association against Cancer, parents perceive that our children are very exposed to the sun during the summer holidays (64.9% exposure), but in the schoolyard or in the activities that the child performs during the weekend only a solar exposure of around 30% is perceived.

According to this study, "Sun protection behaviors and risk perception of skin cancer in the Spanish population", 36% of children go to school without any protection from the sun (Sunscreen or caps are only used by one in four children in the schoolyard). With which most of them are unprotected and their skin can be affected, they can get burned.

The practice of sports, walks or stay in playgrounds are also not perceived as places where sun exposure can be excessive. And it won't be because those activities are done in the shade ...

It is also noteworthy that, as the age of children increases, their exposure to the sun increases in any situation (we are no longer worried so much that they are in the shade), at the same time as after ten years of age (well, We parents have much less care in applying sunscreen.

I hope to remember this data when my daughters reach that age, and I don't stop worrying about taking care of their skin and apply the photoprotector in any situation that will be exposed to the sun in the central hours of the day and especially in summer. Something that, by the way, we should also do the elderly more often.