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Original poster

Tan Lines on my 5 year old

18 replies

Butterfly81 · 19/05/2016 22:12

Ok, so I think I didn't apply suncream enough times on our holiday in hindsight (it was 50+ factor) or maybe the cream was not that effective as it wasn't a new bottle or we just stayed out and enjoyed the sun for a long time but my daughter has v contrasting tan lines from wearing her swimming costume. Do I need to worry about anything, will it fade/blend etc. Her bum area etc are stark white and the rest is actually nice golden colour. But she looks like a zebra. I tanned but have been exfoliating as normal and am suffering from peeling so obv old skin is wearing away. But she is not suffering from any of that. Any advice? Do I just wait it out? Have I damaged her skin? Do I use anything? We were in a climate of 35C+ so we were out for two weeks so we caught the sun for longer than we normally do and she normally ones that but it is very contrasting this time. Sorry if I am being silly but obviously I can use products to get my skin ship shape but her skin is more delicate. She isn't peeling or anything so not sure if that is good or bad.

OP posts:

Wombat87 · 19/05/2016 22:16

I was an 'outside' kid and always had tan lines. If she's not burnt then I wouldn't worry. And if it concerns you a lot perhaps to for 50+ next time.

Incidentally as an adult I rarely burn. I often wonder if that's because of my childhood outside and previous exposure to the sun

Original poster

Butterfly81 · 19/05/2016 22:19

Thanks, just wondering whether this was permanent as she isn't peeling or will it eventually go back to normal. The cream was 50+ but think it was just the exposure to the beautiful weather. I became stripey around my bra line despite me always wearing a top! Lol

OP posts:

cuntinghomicidalcardigan · 19/05/2016 22:22

My dd tans even in UK when slathered in factor 50, I think it's just her skin type. If she's not burnt or peeling I wouldn't worry too much. I plaster her in aveeno moisturiser every evening as her skin is generally quite dry but she's fine.

Believeitornot · 19/05/2016 22:25

Factor 50 isn't the same as sun block.... (I think anyway)

Spam88 · 19/05/2016 23:01

Not peeling is definitely a good thing. The tan will fade eventually as the melanin in her skin depletes down to her normal levels, likely to take a few months.

Original poster

Butterfly81 · 20/05/2016 06:20

I know it is not sunblock but did want her back to get some vitamin D and not block out the good rays - all abit confusing :-\

OP posts:

DurhamDurham · 20/05/2016 06:32

My girls always had tan lines when they were little, it's unavoidable if they play out even if you apply high factor sun screen.
I wouldn't worry about it, it's good to be cautious but as long as she isn't peeling or red she'll be fine.

ChickyDuck · 20/05/2016 06:49

She's tanned, not burnt!! It is just the same as when you get strap lines from wearing a bikini. She won't go back to "normal" until the tan fades, which can take anything from a few weeks to a few months depending on her skin. Also, presumably when she goes out she wears clothes which cover the area covered by her swimsuit on holiday, so to everyone else she will just look like a gorgeous tanned little girl! To be honest I am a bit confused about what you are worried about....have you never had tan lines before OP?

Shannith · 20/05/2016 07:23

Yeah. Spent my childhood tanning and have just been told I have skin cancer.

KoalaDownUnder · 20/05/2016 07:33

A tan is not 'gorgeous' on a little girl.

Any tan is sun damage.

She needs to wear a rash shirt and/or close-woven, light, long-sleeved clothing in future. Plus a wide-brimmed hat with neck protection at the back.

Sunblock/sunscreen (it's all the same thing) won't cut it if she's out all day in v hot temperatures. Even if you reapply.

She needs to stay out of the sun altogether between 11 and 2 on v hot days. (Everyone should).

Sorry, but some of the ignorance about sun exposure and tanning really irritates me. Sun exposure at an early age causes the worst long-term damage - like deadly melanomas as an adult.

I'm not trying to frighten you, I'm sure she is perfectly fine as a one-off. But letting kids get brown is not, as a rule, okay. No matter how cute it looks.

scaevola · 20/05/2016 07:47

A tan is a defensive reaction by the body, but is nowhere near as dangerous as burning. But yes, it is a form of damage.

Yes, it will fade.

And to prevent recurrence, stay out of direct sunlight when the sun is at its strongest (not a synonym for hottest) both in terms of calendar and time of day, use UV protective clothing (or tight weave fabric clothes), big brimmed hats, and regularly re-applied sunscreen (even if it says 24 hours, it may not remain protective if sweaty, or at edges of clothing, if rubbed/scraped).

ChickyDuck · 20/05/2016 07:54

Shannith, my condolences, I hope you get swift and effective treatment. However, a single anecdotal case proves nothing, in the same way that someone saying "my granny smoked 40 a day and she live to 106" doesn't mean that smoking is fine.

I'm not saying that sun exposure can't increase the risk of skin cancer, we all know it does, but the direct cause/effect that you are implying simply isn't accurate. Go to any Mediterranean country and you will see hundreds of kiddies, as brown as a berry, running round perfectly happily. Yes, they take sensible precautions: they don't go out in peak sun hours, they stay in the shade, they use cream. This is all very sensible and will help keep the risk as low as possible. But they don't all have skin cancer, do they?

Take sensible precautions, enjoy the sun responsibly, don't allow her to burn, but there is absolutely no need to stress about a bit of a tan.

Paulat2112 · 20/05/2016 07:58

Last time we went to the Caribbean our kids wore the little UV suits, which covered from wrist to knee. They were fine and only really got a slight tan on their hands and feet, which were slathered every hour in factor 50! Maybe an idea for next time?

teacherwith2kids · 20/05/2016 08:01

My DS has 'olive' skin - don't know where he gets it from, the rest of us are typical pale-as-under-stone creepy crawlies.

His face and neck, and hands, are darker than the rest of him - because the merest glimpse of UK sun in May, when walking to and from school, is enough to trigger the production of melanin in his skin.

Like all of us, he wears high factor sunscreen when it is sunny, wears a hat, covers up, keeps out of the sun at peak hours - and our annual holiday is seldom more exotic than Pembrokeshire. But he remains 'browner' in the areas not covered by clothes than us, and than the rest of his body.

Fluffycloudland77 · 20/05/2016 08:04

I was about to say uv blocking clothes next time.

One of dm's friends had melanoma in the late 60's & her consultant said they thought it was linked to uv exposure but at that time sun cream was designed to get you brown. They knew though, even then.

Hence her plastering me in sun block when I was little.

Shannith I hope you recover.

Original poster

Butterfly81 · 25/05/2016 11:19

Thanks for all your replies. Sorry to hear of your skin cancer @Sannith - best wishes for strength during your treatment and recovery.

We are of South Asian origin so not sure if that helps. But yes, we did apply sunscreen on the LO often - but she got has very contrasting coloured skin from where swimming costume was and where it wasn't! She did wear a sunhat and etc and husband and I discussed that we would get a more fully covered swimsuit for our next hot holiday. I was just concerned that both her dad and I were peeling a week or two later after our holiday so we lost some of tan (now am more glowy rather than abit grey looking!) and she wasn't, so not sure how her tan lines will even out etc or how toddler skin reacts. She didn't burn The sun was quite strong so even though I was covered, I actually have tan lines around my bra area and also for once, my thighs also has some colour. My husband tans very quickly so not sure if that is what my daughter is like him. But also such an array of suncreams and lotions that I didn't know existed!

OP posts:

Rosa · 25/05/2016 11:29

My Dd still has a white bum from last summer. We spend about 3 months in the sun and we start with factor 50 hats , glasses and my youngest has a rash type vest but it is baggy as she gets too hot. We get out of the sun between 11.30 and 4 and often can be found still on the beach at 7.30 . They go golden , have never burnt ( apart from the youngest getting an allergic reaction with cream / sun and sweat ) so we go very carefully. We use after sun ( aloe pure or as near as) . The option is for them to sit inside a an apartment in a extremely hot and humid city with no parks, shopping centres and friends as they are are at the beach !!!! The sun to me is like dieting ... should be in moderation but not taken in an extreme either way !

squoosh · 25/05/2016 11:39

We are of South Asian origin so not sure if that helps.

In that case OP surely your child is likely to tan at even the hint of some sunshine. It's in her DNA. I've got pale Celtic skin and will develop a smattering of freckles even if I dip myself in Factor 1000 every half hour.

As long as you're putting suncream on her and she's not burning it sounds absolutely fine.

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