Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
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Prevention of Sunburn
Avoid strong sunlight whenever possible, and cover up with loose clothing and a hat. Thickly apply sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15 before going out in the sun.
Babies under 12 months should be kept in the shade and covered up with a high factor sun lotion or sunblock. Encourage young children to play in the shade, and make sure they wear sunhats and a high SPF lotion.
Choose a lotion that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, for maximum protection. When buying sunglasses, look for a style with UV filters.
Sun lotions should be applied half an hour before going into the sun, so that they sink into the skin. Make sure you use a generous amount – research shows many people don’t use enough cream to give proper protection – and pay particular attention to skin near the edges of clothing such as straps and necklines, which are easily missed.
Reapply sun lotion regularly. Remember that it can rub off on towels or sand, or from going in the water. Even water repellent lotion should be reapplied because you can rub it off when you towel dry yourself after swimming.
It’s a good idea to use a stick application with higher SPF or even total sunblock for exposed areas such as your nose, ears and lips, which tend to get burnt.
Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, between 11am and 2pm, and use weather reports to get an idea of the sun index or UV index, which can tell you how strong the sunlight will be.
When buying sun lotion abroad, ask the pharmacist for advice on how effective a particular product is. American SPF numbers are different from European numbers; American SPF 8 is equal to European 4, so the same number is only half as effective.
