suncream and school

[bobblewobble]

I am just wondering what all your schools do regarding sun cream at school.

My son has recently turned five and is in reception. In his second year of nursery, he burnt on a few occasions whilst at school. (He was only there 2.5 hours) I always applied sun cream an hour before school starting and also before taking him into class, 9-11.30. I spoke to his teachers about him burning and asked if they could apply sun cream half way through class. They spoke to the headmaster who said they were not allowed to do this, due to child protection issues. I asked if there was a way around it, like two teachers present or if I got the sun cream prescribed. No! I asked if he could do it himself or if they could spray it on him and not touch him. No!

I have now started to worry about what will happen this year now that he is in school all day. When out ourselves, we apply sun cream every hour as he really does burn so quickly. Ten minutes in the sun and he is red for a few days. He is very fair skin and ginger hair. My husband is awaiting genetic testing as his family have a strong history of skin cancer (10 year old cousin had it to) and his father has the faulty gene. I have a younger daughter at the school who has much darker skin and doesn't burn so easily so can have the sun cream applied once before nursery and I'm sure she won't burn.

Last year I bought one of those sun proof tops, still applied sun cream and he still burnt :( He also keeps a hat with a neck protector at school, so that he always has a hat available.

Do your schools allow teachers to apply sun cream?

My friend with lupus has tops from Sunsibility and is really pleased with them. I have a long sleeved top from Lion in the Sun, but that with spf 50 underneath is fine for me

Are you sure he's not sun burnt and just reacting to the sun cream?

All 3 of my DC used to look sunburnt, which I found highly embarrassing, but were actually just reacting to the sun cream.

Now they're at school I apply Calypso Once a day and it really works. They also wear a hat and I send themnin with a sun stick which they apply to their lips, nose and cheeks themselves.

None of them react badly to the Calypso cream.

Sorry just skimmed the last page or so but my red headed daughter gets Ultrasun on prescription. www.ultrasun.co.uk/shopping-online
The key thing is to apply it an hour before going out as it bonds to the skin (a bit smelly) so needs time to active. The only time I have seen people burn with this stuff is when they have not given it time to bond before going out into the sun or swimming.
Please do not use P20 to guard against skin cancer. It has mainly UVA protection which stops you from burning - which is why many fair skinned people report getting a lovely tan while using P20 but it offers only limited UVB protection which are the rays that cause cancerous changes.
Ultrasun has the highest most stable UVA and UVB protection. Pizbuin day long as another good one as it also has flecks in it to reflect the rays away from the skin.

As others have said it is not "normal" burning this easily. Try and get it properly documented as a medical issue/need - that way the school will have to address the issue rather than dismissing you as one of those parents.

Also, may be worth supplementing with vitD if he has to wear sunscreen all the time.

I think your son definitely has a medical issue and as such "normal" school policies aren't really relevant.

I also live in Australia and the attitude is much more laid back ime as everyone used to ridiculously hot sun as fact of life! My kids apply factor 50 before going out in the morning as do most kids (pump next to the front door). They wear school hats with a massive brim and longish shorts with tshirts that cover nearly to elbow plus socks and trainers. Very little skin exposed!

V v unusual for them to be out in direct sunlight during day (up to year one the kids only play inside or under shade sails).

And in heat of summer very few kids walking to school (which is a shame but sensible).

The Aussies are also much less health and safety governed. So in sport for example the teacher offers use of sun cream if they are going outside. Allergies are dealt with more on an individual basis rather than "let's assume we all have allergies" mode which seems to exist in England.

My 3 children have ultrasun applied as a matter of course every day during spring & summer. It's amazing stuff, factor 50 protected them as babies in Italy & Portugal (August), and every day in this country regardless of his many times they go in paddling pool etc. Now we use either factor 30 or 50.

Can't recommend it enough. Expensive, but if you factor in the once a day application as opposed to reapplying cheaper creams a few times it's not too bad (and you know when they're at school there is no worry).

Suncream should be applied at least 15 mins before, so even if your son was to do it himself it wouldn't give him the protection needed until after playtime had finished. Ultrasun has to be physically washed off (the only drawback I've found with it) so it's still effective if you decide to do outside stuff after school.

Sorry if I've missed it, but why can't he apply it himself?

I agree that your son's condition is not really within the realms of 'normal' (if he is only out in the sun at certain times and is still burning after a liberal application of the all day sun cream and special uv tops) therefore you need to go to the doctors and get a special plan in place for school etc.

If the school refuse to do this then they are totally neglecting their duty of care and you can take it further.

Just skimmed the thread but he won't be eligible for anything on prescription and your GP won't write a note unless he has a specific skin condition like vitiligo. Please please don't take up a GP appointment for this, it will just waste time for both of you.

Long sleeves shirts, cap with a back floppy bit, long trousers. Factor 50 cream that you have to put on just once a day. Where did he get sunburned? Face, hands, neck?

The doctor knows he burns easily as we discussed it before when the school would not apply sun cream or let him apply it. The health visitor also tried helping us but nothing she could do.

He wears the hats with the uv protection with the neck flap at the back and also the uv top with full sleeves. I have not come across long trousers with the uv protection. He then has his uniform on top. His face was burnt below the forehead and his arms were pink.

I know that is not a terrible burn to his arms but when you have sun cream and a uv top you expect their skin not to get burnt.

As many have said this is not normal, so I do not think I would be wasting the doctors time in trying to get help for him.

I have ordered the ultrasun ultrasensitive 50+ . I will still speak to the school and see how he goes with this.

Keeping fingers crossed for you bobble.

I personally think you won't look back from the ultrasun. It is a different product from other once a day creams. The fact it can be gained on prescription (although I don't know what conditions qualify) to me gives it more kudos/'medical' status.

Here's to a happy summer for your little boy!

Sorry I can't find the information on supplements, but did come across some research about vitamin C and E helping to reduce the effects. Best to get advice though.

You wouldn't be wasting the doctor's time, I assume that poster hasn't read the full thread so doesn't realise quite how extremely your son is reacting to sunlight. It really is worth pushing for a dermatology referral I think, especially as your family is already higher risk for skin cancer (your poor relative :( ) it may well be a sun allergy that looks different to others, or it could be something else, but it's worth getting it checked out because it is a serious threat to his health, or would be if you weren't being so careful.

I have a strange rash that comes up sometimes in the sun. Each time the spots are in exactly the same place, and come up in the same order. It's just one of those things, but I did get it checked out just in case.

One other thing, have you tried a mineral sunscreen rather than a chemical one? Ones with titanium and/or zinc oxide. Avoid nano particles though as they are possibly harmful. The creams are thicker and leave a white tinge but might work better. I used one, I think it was by Green People, which worked well. I then switched to P20 as I like the once a day but will now have a look at its UVA and UVB ratings! :)

All my family are ridiculously pale, albino white with a few gingers and none of us ever burnt, sunscreen was only ever necessary on the rare occasion that there was a heatwave or when on holiday in Spain or Australia.

I really don't see how he could be getting burnt this time of year unless you're in a very hot country. It sounds more like a reaction to the sunscreen or a severe sun allergy. Beta carotene helps prevent sunburn. Tbh it sounds like he was never allowed out without being smothered in sunscreen and now has no tolerance for the suns rays, even the weak ones in this weather.

You really need to get him to a dermatologist.

QVC sell Ultrasun. You could get some from there, and if it doesn't do the job you will be able to return what is leftover and get a refund- on their 30day money back guarantee.

I rate Ultrasun (when I use suncream). It works for us - but we aren'tas sensitive as your DS. It is great to know that a good application first thng will last the day though. Less chance of missing a bit if doing it at home and undressed!

ultrasun

The local primary school to me just have vats of sunscreen in the playground. Kids were sunhuts and slather themselves in sunscreen when they get outside. Even the littlies seem to do it. The playground has a lot of shade too. The kids are all out on the 40 degree days and look to fair better than me!

Also, I'm astounded at the kid who gets Ultrasun on prescription! I'm a pasty white red head and never contem

...plated asking my GP for sunscreen. No wonder the NHS is going tits up.

Some children with skin problems can get it on prescription as the special ones can be extremely expensive compared to shop ones.

Both my dd's are very fair like me and I think would burn quite easily. Last year when dd1 was in reception I just applied it before school and sent her in with a mini bottle of cream for her to apply to her arms in the afternoon. She is very sensible and never burnt so must have reapplied. I also sent her in with a sunhat as I wouldnt want her to apply suncream to her face or expect her to apply cream to the back of her neck at that age.
There are longer lasting suncreams out there you could look into. not sure how effective these are as we didn't try them after finding a suncream that didn't irritate their skin I wasnt about to risk switching brands.

I have not said he has burnt at this time of year lol I have said that he burnt with cloud cover and drizzle but that was back in September.

I cannot believe you can say I have caused my son to be like this myself! Thanks! We found out how quickly he burnt when he was about 8 months old. He was born in September and obviously didn't get much sun as a newborn. I took him out one day at about 9:30 in the morning in his car seat to put the washing out on the line. By the time I went back in he was burnt to the point of being red for a week or so. He was about 8 months old and I felt so guilty that I hadn't put on sun cream on him. My little baby was burnt! The health visitor at that point advised he didn't go out when the sun was out without sun cream.

GOOD NEWS I have spoken to my sons teacher this afternoon and she has said they cannot apply it due to not being allowed to touch children's skin. She said with the history of skin cancer, as he is a sensible little boy she will allow him to take a bottle of sun cream in as if it is on prescription and keep it in school and get him to apply it as needed. She even said she will get him a mirror so he can see if he is getting it all over his face.

We have agreed he will practice putting cream on - will buy a moisturiser, so that he can get used to putting the cream where he needs it. Hopefully by the time he needs to use it he will be better at it than me :) She has said if that doesn't work I can go in at lunchtime and apply it myself.

The Ultrasun won't work out much more expensive, if at all, if it works as I was buying around 6 bottles of Nivea for the school holidays alone. Not feeling so worried now. Thanks all

It is nothing to do with Child Protection. The school should have a Personal Care Policy which you can ask to see. It will mainly be about cleaning children who've had a toilet related accident but will cover the issue of touching children. Schools tend to use Child Protection as an excuse, but the real reason is that it takes too long to apply suncream to 30 children. I don't think any 5 year old can apply their own suncream effectively, but there should be no reason why he couldn't take his suncream to school in a named bottle and be prompted to apply it before going out.

But I've just read that he has burnt through clothes, and I do think pushing for a dermatology referral is a good idea, he does seem extremely sensitive to sunlight, and if he has a medical need then the school might take it more seriously?

At our school, the staff does not administer any medication, even prescription, unless it is self administered (asthma inhaler for example). A boy in my son's class has really bad eczema and the school will not put emollient cream on him the mum has to go to school at lunchtime to apply the cream, even if it's on prescription.

In your shoes, I would really push the school as much as possible to change their rule. I think you are right to be cross about this and to insist on their duty of care. Unless you are prepared to go to school at lunchtime to apply the cream on.

I second Ultrasun. Worth every penny. I recommended it to my GP for her children.

Oh I'm glad to see that he is going to apply it himself in school. We have a policy in our school where we are not allowed to put suncream on children but I am happy to 'help' them do it themselves.

I usually put some of my own cream on my hand and get them to do the same with theirs. Then I put a blob on my nose with my finger and the child copies. I smooth it into the skin and wait for the child to do the same. Then do the same over cheeks, forehead, chin, ears, neck etc. and any other exposed skin.

I've only had to do it for a short time and children learn to apply it themselves very quickly. It's important to show them how to not get it in their eyes. If you could practise this at home it would be great.

In my Aussie primary school, teachers encouraged us the go to the pumps in the corners of the classroom and apply before lunchtime. Most schools here have plenty of shade.