To not smother my DCs in suncream?

[CantankerousCamel]

I know there is a lot of information suggesting ‘there’s is no such thing as a healthy tan’ but AIBU to think it’s gone too far the other way?

I am very lax about suncream personally (choice partly and research mostly) but everywhere I look, people seem to be smothering children in factor 50 every second of the day!

This cannot be healthy surely? Some sort of happy medium is necessary? Obviously some skin needs heavy sun cream and some needs none (I have Spanish skin and my husband is South African, neither of us or the kids have burned when being careful with staying in the shade in midday sun and popping a thin layer on/hat if needed

Why the factor 50 in May?

AIBU to think NICE should be adjusting guidelines to ward off such thick use of creams on young children? It is important for skin to experience sunlight, especially in the Northern Hemisphere and especially this time of year when moderate exposure is easier, safer and will prevent burning later on in the summer.

I'm basically with you. We had friends round who were slathering on fresh cream at 4pm in early May. (Kids 6 plus so not new borns.) I felt very lax but I just don't think it's v strong at that time and similarly my kids gave not burnt ever. My eldest has quite a lot of freckles so I'm encouraging her to put some on her face daily before school because I think they're out at midday and don't have much shade in their playground. (And she won't reliable wear a hat)

I’m pale, OH is pale. DS (2) was out in the sun this afternoon (19C and partly cloudy) and has got sunburnt arms and face. I am very conscious of it because i know how easily we all burn and how dangerous that can be but thought he’d be ok today. Obviously I was wrong!

Not badly sunburnt, but a red glow!

I get sunburnt within 10 minutes of being outside in hot weather.

I have pale skin which goes to olive in the sun, and my children are mixed race (African), I've never used sun cream. When it's very hot I would keep them out of the midday sun, and they wear shorts and t-shirts unless swimming.

Just to clarify, I do not have ‘olive skin’

I am very much white. I am not as pale as freckle, red headed people but I am certainly not olive skinned

The fact is that anyone, of any skin colour, will burn in sunshine if they’ve never felt it on their skin.

A few minutes of sun in the early morning or late evening is really helpful to get that exposure while not frying the skin.

Like I said, most skin doctors will tell you the worst burns they see are in teens and young adults who have never been exposed to sunshine and then go to the beach with their friends.

Making a choice to allow certain amounts of sunlight (if 30 mins is too much then a smaller amount) is not choosing to ignore fears about cancer and skin damage, it’s making a choice to protect against that damage in a different way.

This post annoys me, it totally depends on skin type ffs! My dc are blonde and very pale, plus the toddler barely has any hair still at age 2, so I even put sun cream on her head

This is a totally individual decision! The other day my African friend was round and her kids were begging me for sun cream as it was a novelty and they’ve never experienced it, totally understandably as they don’t need it in English weather.

Just bc YOUR dc can handle the sun doesn’t mean everyone’s can. Ffs people judge when kids get sunburnt, they judge when you put cream on, how can anyone win!!

I am careful with my mixed race children and always make sure we use cream. We live in Cornwall so the wind mixed with the sun can be quite harsh. I know someone who is black, never used sunscreen and never burnt. He had to have several dodgy moles removed and has to have regular checks on his skin. He now uses suncream. Having olive or dark skin will not necessarily protect you from skin cancer.

some of us burn in march in the uk. some of us need factor 50.

PENELOPE

nobody is expecting you to do or not do anything or blaming you for doing or not doing anything. I’m sorry if that’s how you feel.

I use factor 30 on DS but prefer to cover up and use shade as his face is allergic to lots of suncreams

it totally depends on skin type

No it doesn't it's about some sunlight which is good for you V those who total block the sun depriving their kids of vitamin D which we build up over the summer for the winter months.

GREEN

Exactly. Other than in very, very rare circumstances, all children will benefit from some sunlight on their bodies. Not loads, not in the middle of the day, not excessively, but some sunlight all the same. It’s an important part of our health

There evidence to suggest sunscreen use is not detrimental to vitamin D. Firstly people never use enough to get the protection claimed on the bottle, secondly no sunscreen is 100% effective. I think common sense applies. Some sun exposure is needed, it’s up to the parent to judge the skin type, time of day etc and act accordingly.

I do put sunscreen on the younger children if UV is high and they going to be out in the sun for long periods, despite how much sun there is.

My daughter is dark skinned and she already has a tan. It looks like she has been abroad for a fortnight. No matter how much suncream she has on she tans. I am trying to be more relaxed about that because there isn't much I can do about it it seems.

Of course sunscreen is detrimental to the bodies production of vit D.

This is not arguable surely?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/amp/317278

The rates of skin cancer have been increasing in direct relationship to the use of these sunblocks.

I was warned years ago, by an oncologist, that the chemicals in sunblocks react with uv light to create fee radicals that mutate DNA.

Not used them on me or dc.

COUNTER

The research I’ve seen doesn’t suggest suncream increases or decreases rates of skin cancer but does increase the rates of other cancers (like leukaemia) and a host of other disorders due to deficiencies in the body.

I would far rather never use it if possible, though rarely we do.

In theory yes it can interfere both vitamin D synthesis, but in reality I don’t think the research shows that sunscreen use does, this might be down to the way in which it’s used.

There is very clear evidence that countries with high use of sun creams suffer with various disorders relating to lack of vitamin D

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/11040119/A-suntan-is-not-only-healthy-it-can-be-life-saving.html

There’s a few studies cited here ^

I’m not saying vitamin d deficiency is not associated with disease but that sunscreen use may not be as significant in terms of vitamin d status as we might think it is.

The abject fear of any sunlight touching a child without layers and layers of clothes/creams on is of course a factor in why vit d deficiency is horrifyingly common.

People’s diets and living situations have continually increased over the past 200 years. There is really no other valid explanation, especially when you compare findings with other countries

www.skincancer.org/healthy-lifestyle/vitamin-d/damage

I am fair skinned but can manage a fe minutes however my kids just can’t- both burn within minutes, yet some spf 50 on once pretty much does it
I don’t want them to be burned and uncomfortable so that’s what we now do
Sometimes I put it on for school and sometimes I don’t, he often burns on those days

My eldest and my youngest and my nieces never burn. My middle does and needs factor 50, this has been a particularly hot may and it doesnt matter what month it is you can burn regardless of the month if your prone to it if its hot. Next month will likely be shit. I dont put suncream on to protect them from burning (except my.middle child) I do it to minimises the risk of skin cancer however they do get sun exposure in the early morning and late afternoon without cream. None of them have rickets yet.

My friend who moved to australia had vit d deficiency last year as she was using factor 50 all day every day which she never done here in scotland, the doctor told her to chill with the suncream.