Tanned baby

[redredbrine]

My son is under the age of 1 and is currently sporting a tan. He is mixed race (1/4 black, 3/4 white) and was covered in factor 30 on a day when it was 21 degrees Celsius. I chose factor 30 as the UV index was low and wanted to avoid factor 50 due to the chemicals - would only use if it was going to be very hot.

One of my friends went off on a rant at me. Apparently I'm increasing my son's risk of skin cancer, should've used factor 50 and it's awful for a child to have a tan.

AIBU to think that it's fine that he tanned because he has sun cream on and he just went a tiny bit darker? It wasn't intentional or like I was shoving him out in the sun on purpose for this reason...

factor 30 is fine. I assume you are in the UK where it's not really very hot and sunny right now.
Some people just tan very easily and some sunshine is needed for vit D.

i sometimes really wonder how we made it all to adulthood - I am ginger and very white skinned and there was no factor 50 around when I was you.

My DS is almost 3, always wears factor 50 on medium or high UV days, is reapplied often and is kept in the shade as much as possible. Has never burned. Never even been pink.
He looks at the sun and he tans. Not hugely, but you can see a line where his t shirt ends after a few warm days. His dad is the same- he’s deep brown by the end of the summer, sunscreen notwithstanding.

Some people do just tan very easily.

For someone like me though the difference between factor 50 and factor 30 can be the difference between burnt or not

My DD is mixed race and catches the sun easily. Of course she wears sun cream if its particularly sunny, and I wouldnt keep her out in the heat for very long- but a little vitamin D is important. People going ott about this I think are just used to having Caucasian children.

A tan is just skin damage though? I understand it happens, but surely parents try to prevent it as much as possible?

As I understand it, it's not protecting you from the sun, because the damage done to skin cells in the first place is greater than the benefit of having slight protection from burning?

I'm paranoid about my kids in the sun and tend to think it's ignorant to take the risk of skin cancer with children.

But then I'm a huge hypocrite because I don't apply that logic to myself and tan very easily 😂

Funnily enough on my memories thing on FB yesterday I had posted that whilst comparing tans, my youngest had the darkest tan out of us 4 and she was lathered in factor 50 all the time. We lived in South Spain at the time. Even now back in the UK, she only has to look at the sun and goes a lovely brown that adults on holiday aim for.

Dress appropriately, yes but come on, long sleeves etc just are not comfortable in heat. Just make sure his skin is protected, you cant change how his skin reacts my kids are a 50/50 Scottish/English by the way...... Unfortunately the eldest seems to have scottish skin

My DCs are half Thai, and tan very easily. They’ve never turned the slightest bit pink in the sun, they just sport a golden t-shirt tan after very little exposure on a hot day.
I do put factor 50 on them when it’s particularly hot outside or if we are going to be outside in the sun for an extended period of time, but other than that just a slap of factor 30 on the delicate areas (faces, ears etc) does my kids just fine.
Their dad has the exact same skin type - he could tan in the bloody arctic circle

The increased levels of melanin in a mixed/ black/asian race babies' skin acts as additional protection- of course they still need sun tan lotion but its wrong to directly compare the measures one has to take on a Caucasian baby?

My girls are half Turkish and they tanned when they were babies. I would cover them in factor 50, keep them in the shade as much as possible, give them hats, everything and they still tanned. They still tan as soon as they see the sun. I am the same even though I am English. Now we all use factor 30 and are careful but still go very brown, it's just what our skin does. Unless we all stayed indoors all summer there is nothing I can do.

Thankfully I lived in Turkey when they were babies so I didn't have to put up with judgmental parents telling me they shouldn't have a tan.

SPF50 only blocks 1% more than SPF30 and it can often be much harder to apply as it's so thick. Factor 30 applied thickly and regularly will protect in the UK so long as you're not baking yourself in direct sunlight all day.

Kids should not be kept in all summer to avoid UV light, there's a reasonable compromise here with providing shade over pools, sandpits and playmats as well as when sitting down to eat or napping but acknowledging kids run around out of the shade and that's healthy.

Well done for all that you are doing. Some children’s skin turns very quickly and as you soon is mixed race this is obviously the way his skin will go. 🌻

My kids are both mixed race even with sun cream on they still tan ridiculously but their skin tone is naturally really golden it's a beautiful colour.

My kids are half Greek and only have to look at the sun to go darker. I'd have to keep them in doors or covered head to toe in clothes. Your boy will get progressively darker as he gets older too. Mixed race babies often start off very pale and get darker regardless of sun exposure. Factor 30 is fine for normal uk temperatures especially for a child with more natural sun protection like yours. Ignore your friend

wanted to avoid factor 50 due to the chemicals

You could use a mineral sunscreen like me Beauty Kitchen, Badger, Weleda edelweiss etc.

The weleda and beauty kitchen ones are in Holland and Barrett. Bk is not specifically a kids one but it's great and I use it on my toddler.

They tend to make skin look white, but sounds like might be a good thing with friends like yours .

Your 'friend' was rude!

There's not enough cottonwool on earth for some of the posters here.

Just put a mineral based sunscreen on. Chemical based is all bad never mind what factor.
I use zinc based, barely have to reapply and it blocks the rays.
Also, i avoid midday sun. My baby will not wear a hat..stresses me put but i stick zinc in his parting too just in case

I can get freckles within minutes of being outside on a sunny day. I can even develop freckles on my arms through very light t-shirts. This is how my skin works. Of course a child of mixed heritage is going to tan quickly and easily as that is how their skin works. Some of the responses on this thread have been strange.

Factor 30 is absolutely fine. Tell your friend to calm down and shut up.

TurboTeddy I think you are wrong about only UVA causing cancer! UVB causes cancer and UVA is mainly responsible for ageing the skin, although it can cause cancers too!
There is increasing evidence that exposure to the sun is important for health in general- in moderation of course!

Just tell your friend the truth hes mixed race he tans easily even with sun cream .

Same thing happens to me with sun cream its important not to use to high a sun cream or it affects vitamin d production.You only need 30 in uk sunny weather if it was somewhere like Florida or abroad then 50 fair enough .Dont worry

I can't think mildly tanned skin (ie not burnt) is an issue at all. We don't want kids getting a healthy colour, but we are happy to slather them with chemicals. When did this change come about?

I don’t often put sunscreen on my dds, we live near the beach and I just avoid the middle hours of the day, and they usually swim in wetsuits anyway.
If they are out through the sunniest hours for some reason, then I put block on them, plus a hat etc . We are milk white celts, and so at higher risk for skin cancer, but they do need vitamin D for bones, and supplements are not as good as your body’s own production.
I really think it is absolutely fine op. He will naturally darken slightly, more so than a very fair baby, and sunscreens don’t block everything anyway. As he grows he will be healthier and happier having plenty of time outside, and living in the UK he will be at much higher risk of low vitamin D than skin cancer.
All babies used to be outside every day in prams when I was small. The increase in skin cancer coincides with holidays in hot places, sunbed use, and excessive sunbathing. Not having some time outside as a darker skinned baby ! Don’t worry at all !

We use 30 always have done I think it’s better to use a lower factor and reapply rather than 50 and be complacent

My dc tan easily we are slightly unsure of their heritage but they seem to have skin that tans easily and doesn’t burn but we still avoid hottest part of the day and reapply frequently
Your friend was rude to comment how she did OP

All this drama over tanned hands! 30 is fine OP. Honestly don’t even let it bother you for another second.