Protecting your family
Babies under 12 months should not be exposed to direct UV and should be well protected from the sun. If being in the sun is unavoidable, try to use a cover for the pram or cover as much of your baby's skin with loose-fitting, cool clothing and a hat.
Apply sunscreen on those small areas of skin still exposed. It's a good idea to test the sunscreen on a small area of your baby's skin to make sure there won't be any reaction. Try a sensitive formula, as it will be less likely to cause irritation. More tips for protecting young children from the sun.
When it comes to adolescents and young adults, sun protection can be a hard sell – often they are more concerned with maintaining their image, finding covering up a ‘hassle' they can live without.
Parental guidance and role modelling plays an important role. Adolescents can also be motivated by:
- the need to prevent the embarrassment of sunburn
- the need to prevent ageing such as wrinkles and sun damage
- health knowledge regarding skin cancer.
Here are some hints:
- Be a role model for sun protection behaviour by wearing hats, protective clothing and sunglasses, using sunscreen and seeking shade.
- Remind your teenager to protect themselves – show them the UV Alert and mobile phone app.
- Leave sunscreen and hats at the door.
- Allow them to choose their own hat, sunscreen, clothing, rash vests and board shorts, so the brand and style is acceptable to them.
- Time outings for early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
- Take shade to the beach.
Resources
Download the following resources to show your family how to make sun protection fun!
- Download the SunSmart Countdown [pdf 1.14M] for more information on protecting young children.
- Download Sun protection for babies and toddlers [pdf 101K] for some great advice about the best ways to protect your preschoolers.
- Read the popular questions asked about sun protection and find out how much sun is enough for vitamin D.
Also refer to:
- Tanning and solariums to find out the facts
- Risk factors for skin cancer, which covers skin types, family history and tanning
- Health risks for information about premature ageing and sunburn
- Types of skin cancer to see what skin cancer looks like
