HEALTH & INSPECTION SERVICES > COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES

Skin Protection Program

About Skin Cancer:

• Skin Cancer is the most common of all cancers.
• One in every six Americans develops skin cancer at some point in life.
• Sun exposure causes at least 90% of all skin cancers.
• Most of a person's lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18.
• Skin cancer is almost completely curable when treated in its earliest stages.
• The good news is that almost all skin cancers are preventable by practicing sun safety throughout childhood!

Safe Sun Tips:

• Seek shade! Teach children to go into the shade between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. - peak sunlight hours.
• Apply a SPF 15 (or higher) sunscreen that blocks both UVB and UVA rays whenever your child spends time outdoors. This includes soccer camp, biking, picnicking and the beach! Be sure to apply sunscreen liberally and evenly to all exposed skin and reapply at least every two hours.
• Fun in the sun needs to be limited. Limit your child's time in the sun during hot, sunny days.
• Every child needs to cover up with wide-brimmed hats and shirts.
• Sunscreen should not be used on babies less then six months old. Their ultra-sensitive skin requires they stay out of the sun entirely.
• Understand that sand, water, cement and snow can reflect as much as half the sun's rays onto your children's skin even if they are in the shade.
• No tan is a healthy tan. A tan is a sign of injured skin from the sun's damaging rays - even if your child doesn't burn first.