Protecting children in the sun

Is there any research indicating the time difference between an adult and a child burning in the midday sun? I understand children’s skins are more prone to burning because their skin is thinner.

There is information on this page about

Children's skin
SunSmart advice – staying safe in the sun
Where to find out more about skin cancer

Babies and young children do have thinner, more delicate skin than adults. Because of this, their risk of getting sunburnt is much higher. We do not have any statistics that compare the rate of time it takes for a child to burn compared to an adult. Such statistics could be misleading for parents. The most important message is that children burn very quickly in the sun. Children need to be protected, not just from painful sunburn, but from developing skin cancer.

You need to keep children and yourself out of the sun when it is at its hottest. You should never use a sun bed. Remember to

Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm
Make sure you never burn
Aim to cover up with a T shirt, hat and sunglasses
Remember to take extra care with children
Then use factor 15+ sunscreen

Babies and children should always wear brimmed hats in the sun. Baseball caps may look good, but they leave the back of the neck and ears completely exposed. The foreign legion type is much better, with a cloth flap that covers the back of the neck. These are now widely available for babies and young children.

Don't forget to protect your children’s eyes as well as your own. Wear good quality, wrap around sunglasses. Wrap arounds stop the sun from getting in at the sides. Buy these for children too – toy sunglasses can do more harm than good. Look for the sticker on the lenses that tells you that the sunglasses provide proper UV protection. If there is no sticker, we wouldn't advise that you buy them.

The amount of protection you get from your clothes varies depending on the type of material. The closer the weave of the fabric, the more likely it is to keep the sun off. Thin, loose weave fabrics such as cheesecloth give very little protection. Close weave cotton (T shirt material) gives quite good protection.

In the UK, clothing manufacturers (particularly children's clothing) are beginning to put sun protection factor labels in their clothes. The higher the number, the more protection the clothing gives. Wet fabric can stretch and lose some of its ability to protect from the sun. High protection factor sunsuits are now available to give children and adults greater protection on the beach.

Skin types play a part in how quickly you will burn. They can be divided into 6 categories and people with skin

Type 1 are pale skinned, have freckles, light coloured eyes and blond, fair or red hair – these people burn easily in the sun and never tan
Type 2 are fair skinned, have light coloured eyes and blond, fair or red hair – these people usually burn, but may develop a light tan
Type 3 have creamy white skin, with any eye or hair colour – these people sometimes burn mildly, but gradually tan
Type 4 are brown skinned with brown eyes and dark hair – these people rarely burn and tan very easily
Type 5 have dark brown skin – these people very rarely burn and tan very easily
Type 6 have black skin, dark eye colour and dark hair – they almost never burn in the sun

Taking precautions in the sun is vital for everyone, but especially important for children.

Cancer Research UK run a SunSmart campaign to highlight the importance of being safe in the sun and this includes a section on children and the sun.