PARENTS have been warned to be on high alert for a summer mistake that could prove fatal.
Temperatures are set to rise this weekend, which means more time out in the sunshine.
But with this comes the risk of skin cancer, and experts have said that children in particular need to be protected during hot weather.
Kids have fragile skin, so they are more prone to get burnt, especially if they don’t have the right sun cream.
Speaking to Trending In The News, Dr Sarah Carlick urged parents to take sun protection seriously.
She warned that even though we aren’t yet in the hottest summer months, it can be easy to dismiss the power the sun has.
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“Once sunburned as a child, it can increase your risk of skin cancer by over 50 per cent as an adult.
“Unfortunately, once the damage is done, it’s done, but there are ways you can protect your children from sun damage”, she said.
Dr Carlick said that one of the best ways to protect your little ones, is to use a high factor sun cream.
“This needs to be at least factor 50 and should be reapplied after a few hours.
“Stay out of the sun between 11-3 and if you can’t, make sure the sun lotion is handy.
“Make sure it’s a reputable brand and that there is sun cream on every part of flesh that is going to be exposed to the sun.”
The safeguarding expert said that severe sunburn is a child protection issue, and highlighted that just being burnt once could increase you little one’s risk of illness.
Dr Carlick highlighted that severe sunburn is when the burn is so bad that it blisters.
However she said that all sun damage could be fatal.
She explained: “If someone gets really red or pink and they do that maybe once or twice a year, then they are constantly increasing their risk of that skin cancer growing.
“You might think, ‘oh they are just a little bit pink, it doesn’t matter’, but it really does.
“It compounds year on year”.
MAKE IT ROUTINE
The guru also urged parents to put sun cream on their children before they go to school or go out for the day – making it part of their daily routine.
This is especially important, she said, when they are attending events.
Parents should take particular care if little ones are going to parties where there might be face painting, she said.
This is because if sun lotion has not been applied, then you can burn through the paint.
