Tanning and Mediterranean skin

[URaflutteringcunt]

I can't stop my little 1 yr old from tanning. We are a mixed heritage family and he is taking very much after his dad. I slather all the kids in factor 50 every morning and again in the day, it has 5 star rating and I'm so obsessive I've checked the Which report on the performance of sun creams etc. But his arms and legs are still going brown. His face isn't because he wears a hat. I read an article that says any tan is damage already done, but what can I do

His dad and my ILs go very dark in the sun almost immediately.

Can't help, but my mixed race DC are the same. Factor 50 on and they only have to look at the sun before they are 2 shades darker. After 2 hours in an out door pool 4-6pm, wearing factor 50 DD2 had tanned and has a clear outline of her swimming costume. I just try and make sure they don't burn and wear rash tops/shorts when I can.

Don't worry about it. My ds is like this despite sunscreen and not sunbathing. I think he's lucky.

I think you're confusing tanning with sunburn.

My children are also mixed (white/Asian) and my two year old has an epic t shirt suntan right now. I too slather him in factor 50, but he goes brown as soon as the sun comes out. A tan per se isn't sun damage. It's just a normal reaction to the sun in a person who has a decent about of melanin in them.

Myself, on the other hand, I'm as pale as anything and burn lobster red really easily. If I wanted to get a tan (which I don't!) I would need to cook myself on a sun lounger for a couple of weeks. That isn't good and is damaging for the skin.

You have nothing to worry about

Even the WHO report says that any tan at all is damage. "There is no such thing as a healthy tan" 😔 My other kids are as white and freckly as me but this little one is as brown as a berry. I guess all I can do I is put the factor 50 on and try and keep him in the shade!

All my family on both sides instantly tan in the sun (think strap marks after an hour in the garden)
We're what youd describe as Caucasian but there are European Romany roots a few generations back. My parents and I have used factor 50 on children regardless of where we are in the world as soon as the sun comes out. Still as tanned as you can get, no one resembles a leather handbag just yet.
Don't feel bad, as long as you know you're doing your utmost to protect them from burning and sunstroke!

What suncream are you using? I had the same concerns with my youngest, although caucasion, he was getting super tanned through factor 50 (not a good look on a 1yo ) but I realised the stuff I was using from the health food shop, although had a 5 star rating didn't have both UVA and UVB, just one (can't remember which!) Got some better stuff from Boots.

Even the WHO report says that any tan at all is damage. "There is no such thing as a healthy tan"

My interpretation of that would be that it is unhealthy to seek out a tan, either from the sun or sunbeds. "Tanning", to me, is the act of cooking yourself in the sun because you want to be brown.

A tan that just happens, because you have an olive skin tone and brown really easily despite sunblock, isn't the same as someone tanning themselves on a sun bed for two weeks is it?

Honesty, I think you are being excessively anxious. Because unless you want your child to literally stay indoors during the summer months, or cover them from neck to wrist to ankle, you cannot prevent them from going a bit brown in the sun.

The star rating is for uva. The number is the spf e.g. factor 50, 30, etc

I looked for WHO guidance and only found it in relation to artificial tanning sunbeds, and there's obviously no safe way to use those.

Ditto, the NHS advice is aimed at those deliberately tanning themselves.

So again, don't worry. It's better to have skin that goes a bit brown anyway. It's those of us that are milk-bottle pale who really need to worry about sun damage and skin cancer.

People who actually live in hot countries all year round can't actually stop themselves from tanning, it's about being sensible. If you have the mind of skin that tans easily it's okay to tan but take every precaution you an not to burn and be as safe as possible.
Avoid any situation where your child might burn - continue to use high factor suncream, avoid the hottest sun of the day if possible and keep heads covered with hats. You can't eliminate all risk but you can reduce the risk of Sun damage by being careful. We do need a certain amount of sun on our skin or we would become vitamin d deficient.

I think I probably am being anxious. The thing is the comments from people that see someone as pale as me with a little brown baby and start the "oooh someone's left their baby in the sun" or "you should put sun lotion on him" comments. I could say he's half Turkish actually (but so is my eldest and he's as white and as blonde as I am!) The baby's knees actually look like they are dirty but it's tan. 😂

UR - I have two sons- one dark like his Italian dad and one very white like his English mum! It is weird at first when you see how easily the first one changes colour with the season!