SLIP SLOP SLAP
Sunshine improves our mood and makes us feel happy but what about the long-term damage to our skin?
Before looking at what parents should
and shouldn’t do, we need to understand
the reasons why too much sun can be
bad for us:
Sunlight
Sunlight consists of a wide range of different wavelengths
of radiation. Some of these we can sense – the warmth
we feel in sunlight comes from Infra-Red radiation,
and the light we can see comes from radiation in the
visible spectrum. There are other wavelengths in
sunlight that we can’t see, and chief among these
are those in the Ultra-Violet group. There are at least
three different types of Ultra-Violet radiation and
these are generally referred to as UVA, UVB and UVC.
UVC Radiation
UVC radiation is the shortest wavelength and
although it is potentially harmful to our skin, it is
completely filtered out by the earth’s atmosphere and
so does not affect us.
UVB Radiation
UVB radiation causes the appearance of a tan after
sun exposure. It does this by stimulating the formation
of the pigment ‘melanin’ in the deeper layers of the skin
and activates it’s movement to the outer skin layers.
Here it acts as an antioxidant and skin protector – it
is part of our natural defence against sun damage.
UVB radiation also causes thickening of the outer
layers of the skin, and if exposure is taken to excess,
causes sun-burn. This should be avoided at all
costs, particularly by children, due to the increased
risk of skin cancer later in life.
UVA Radiation
UVA radiation is potentially the most damaging form
as it penetrates deeper into the skin. In the deep
basal layers of the skin UVA can damage the DNA
that makes up the blueprint of each cell, and can
result in mutated cells that no longer reproduce
properly. This, in turn, may be a primary cause of
some skin cancers, although they may take years or
even decades to manifest themselves.
UVA also damages structures made from or
containing collagen and elastin and this is one of the
main causes of wrinkles and premature ageing in
skin that is often exposed to sunlight.
General Advice
The general advice given to adults who are going to
be exposed to sunlight can be summed up in the
now famous Australian adage of ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ –
Slip on a Shirt, Slop on a Hat, Slap on some
Sun-cream.
Clearly, all three of these actions are designed to
reduce exposure to sunlight and therefore minimise
the risks involved.
Further advice is to avoid exposure to the sun when
it as its strongest – between mid-day and three in
the afternoon. When you think about it, this is the
traditional time when many Mediterranean countries
have lunch followed by a Siesta – both taken indoors,
thereby avoiding the worst effects of the sun.
Sun-creams
All Sun-creams carry a Sun Protection Factor or SPF.
The higher the SPF value, the longer the user will be
able to stay in the sun without visibly burning.
Sun-creams earn their SPF rating by including
ingredients which filter out UV radiation and reduce
it’s effect on the skin. Because it is UVB that causes
most of the visible adverse effects of sun exposure,
most commercial sun-creams concentrate just on
filtering this out and pay little attention to UVA
radiation. However, it is UVA that does the most
damage in the long-term and which we need
protection from. Don’t be fooled that you can stay
out in the sun far longer if you are using UVB
radiation filtering sun-cream. Only use sun-creams
that filter out both UVB and UVA radiation.
Babies and Children?
Most authorities agree that new-born babies should
not be exposed to sunlight at all until they are at least
6 months old. After that age, and depending on their
skin type, short periods of unprotected exposure lasting
just a couple of minutes at a time may be introduced.
All other sun exposure for babies must be carefully
controlled and must not be allowed to take place
without some protection. Keep their skin covered with
light clothing, although bear in mind that UV radiation
can pass through thin, open weave materials and it
is possible to burn even through a shirt or blouse.
Make sure they wear a wide-rimmed sun hat at all
times.Use a UVA and UVB radiation filtering sun-cream.
As with all sun-lotions, apply liberally at least
30 minutes before exposure to the sun to give the
filter time to become active. Also, remember to
re-apply regularly, and especially after bathing.
If you are in a hot climate, try and copy the locals and
take a break in the heat of the day. Babies and children
soon adapt to the idea of a Siesta and by avoiding the
heat of the day they are often happier and less irritable.
As your children grow up, try and encourage them to
assume some of the responsibility for ensuring they
are safe in the sun. Give them their own bottle of
sun-lotion and show them how and when to use it –
soon it will become a habit that will protect them for
the rest of their lives.
The Green People:
www.organicchildren.com
www.organicbabies.com
www.greenpeople.co.uk