Posted on 06/17/2021
We've probably all experienced the sensation known as sunburn with its redness and short-lived pain. But sunburn is more than uncomfortable; for young children, in particular, it can cause long-term damage that becomes apparent only many years later. Believe it or not, a single blistering sunburn during childhood or teen years can actually double a person's chances of developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer (see Parts 1 & 2). So if you're a parent who's been under the impression that a sun protection plan is unnecessary, think again. There's actually good news about sunburn, though: it's usually preventable.
Sunburn Considerations
Sunburn is an inflammatory reaction of the outer layers of skin to the sun's UV rays (ultraviolet radiation). The same pigment that gives your skin its natural color and provides natural defense against these harmful rays works by darkening your sun-exposed skin. The amount of melanin your skin naturally includes is, of course, due to genetics; but whether you tend to tan or burn, there's still damage going on at the cellular level. Of course, a sun tan is often seen positively in our culture, while a sunburn is not.
Sunburns can vary greatly, ranging from a mild light pink that's only slightly uncomfortable to a blistering sore that's painful for many days and may even require medical attention. Your sun-burned skin may begin to peel as your body gets rid of the damaged cells. (If this happens to your child, make sure to encourage them not to peel it off. We'll look at properly treating sunburns in a future article.)
Sunburn Causes
What actually causes sunburn is not heat; it's the UV rays. (This is why you can get a sunburn in winter or even on a cloudy day.) The UV index varies based on time of day, geography, and season. But whenever there's unprotected, exposed skin, a sunburn can result. Over ⅘ of UV rays can penetrate clouds.
Sunburn Cautions
Imagine a person who is supposed to be on a diet but gives in and has an unhealthy meal; they argue that now that they've "blown it," it doesn't matter if they keep pigging out. Or picture someone who is within the "healthy range" according to BMI charts but extremely low energy and gets winded going up a few stairs, insisting that they're healthy simply because of their weight. That's pretty similar to the kind of logic many people use when it comes to applying sunscreen, either after a burn or "base tan" or when they naturally tan instead of getting sunburn. A healthy choice is still a healthy choice, and protecting your skin from the sun's direct rays when the UV index is high is always a healthy choice.
So what should you do if you or your child gets a sunburn? We'll talk about that next time.
The Bedroom Source
Located near the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island, The Bedroom Source is your source for the best collection of children's and teen bedroom furniture. From flexibly configurable Maxtrix furniture to fashionable American-made collections, The Bedroom Source offers high end furniture and professional design assistance to create the bedroom of your child's dreams.
Contact the friendly staff at The Bedroom Source by calling (516) 248-0600 or by submitting our online contact form. We're a local family owned mom & pop store. When you shop with us, you're dealing directly with the owners. We professionally assemble everything we sell. We deliver to Nassau, Suffolk, the 5 Boroughs, Southern Westchester, Southwestern Connecticut & Northern New Jersey.