Quick straw poll: would you put sunscreen on your child at 4pm today?

[YoureBreakingMyHeartCecilia]

We are off to the park with friend.

I’m absolutely religious about sunscreen between the hours of 11 and 3.

Would you slather her in spf 30 (which is all I’ve got) to be outdoors 4-6pm today?

I’m in two minds! It feels crazy given that by about 5pm surely the sun is nowhere near strong enough to cause damage?

But am I irresponsible to let her be out in the sun without it?!

Please give me your advice!

I have burnt before in evening sun so absolutely.

[quote nosnugglesforyou]@MrsTerryPratchett but I will burn at 5pm very easily - and have done unfortunately.

@Bmidreams I’ve sat in many beer gardens after work but have suncream on.[/quote]
DD has better skin than me and I burn easily and wouldn't at 5. I'd take it under advisement at 4.

Today, yes.

@EspressoX10 agreed. I don't think it's pushed enough that in the UK your body can't generate enough Vitamin D, doctors will always say supplements first and 10 mins max exposure to your face and hands.
Bloody Sunbed Association and Vitamin D council (funded by the Sunbed industry) have a lot to answer for!

Yes. I managed to get some wicked sunburn at around 4 recently.

always err on the side of caution with children.
by the time you can see a change in the skin the damage is done.
skin cancer later in life due to parental negligence is undue risk.
take vitamin D supplements.
should also protect your own skin, but that's your own risk.

Oh op, since I've just made a thread about my lovely sunburn sunstroke ---- as I lie in bed, berating my recent past self, I so wish you could be my mother and make sure I had worn sunscreen today

"His need for vitamin D outweighs the risk of the sun"

Oh lord. It doesn't have to be one or the other.

Fortunately you don't have to choose between the myriad of (serious) issues vitamin D deficiency causes and melanoma / skin cancer.

Vitamin D supplements are cheap, readily available and recommended by NHS and probably every single doctor you'll speak to!

Look at the UV index (weather forecast on you phone will have it) and protect your child.

I live in Scotland and cringe every summer when I see sun burnt people. No excuse.

Not if they're in a hat and t-shirt.

@megletthesecond what about their arms? Hats only partially work as the sun is reflected and will bounce onto the face.

I wouldn't be surprised if in 15 - 20 years time there is a huge surge of melanoma cases because parents haven't been protecting their kids when they'd have the natural protection of being inside a school.

I've lost half of my cheek to melanoma and my consultant said I probably would have had another month before it spread internally to my brain. As an adult I was very careful of the sun as I didn't want to age, in childhood my parents believed that tans were healthy and we were constantly outside so I know where mine came from.

UV index here will be four at 4pm today. You should consider sun protection at 3 or higher.

I don't think it's pushed enough that in the UK your body can't generate enough Vitamin D, doctors will always say supplements first and 10 mins max exposure to your face and hands.

But we do! If we are careful we get enough between March and Septemer to tide us over the winter! Add in some VitD rich food and there is no need for supplements in normally healthy individuals of any age!

From about late March/early April to the end of September, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-vitamin-d-from-sunlight/

Yes, definitely. It's going to be 26 degrees here at 4pm and UV will be 4. Too high to be out without cream.

Did you just ignore the rest of the advice, two sentences down?

"During the autumn and winter, you need to get vitamin D from your diet because the sun is not strong enough for the body to make vitamin D.

But since it's difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter."

Also you CAN'T STORE vitamin D and "be careful to get enough between March and September to tide us over the winter".

That's not how it works.

I fear some who are accusing me of not reading/being picky with info are guilty themselves....

At 4? Nope. Time
of day does actually matter.

Yeah you should always wear sunscreen it's to protect skin you can burn any time of the day .
I put it on at 9am or 7pm to go for a run if it's sunny not because I think I'll get sunburn but to protect my skin from sun damage .

I have medium skin and tan fairly well. I cut the grass once at 7pm and I had mild sunburn.

No. I'd make them wear a hat though.

Yes. I have burned at that time and later.

@EspressoX10

Also you CAN'T STORE vitamin D and "be careful to get enough between March and September to tide us over the winter".

That's not how it works.

Just to be clear, your body does store Vitamin D in adipose tissue

It's a fat soluble vitamin as opposed to the water soluble vitamins like B

Given the weather today, yes.

(I would apply the sun cream, though)

Vitamin D-2 and vitamin D-3 circulate in the blood for about 24 hours.

Afterward, these vitamins are stored in the fat tissue for approximately two months.

2010 journal article published by "Pediatric Nephrology