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Dr. Heck recalls how a mother can help protect her child from developing skin cancer and also explains why putting on sunscreen should become part of your daily routine.
Dr. Heck:
Moms, I’d like to tell you how to advocate for your children. You want to make sure and apply broad-spectrum sunscreen SPF30 or higher to their skin every morning. Just make it part of their morning routine. They get their hair done, they wash their face and then either they or you apply the sunscreen.
I have a two and a three-year-old little boy and they both used to scream with the sunscreen. Now they are so used to it is part of their morning. They actually remind me just in case I forget.
I do like mineral blockers for children better than chemical blockers. That’s a personal opinion but I prefer zinc oxide, which is a broad-spectrum mineral blocker. It is better tolerated. I think it is a little easier on the skin.
The greater the sun exposure in youth, the larger the number of moles that are produced on the body and the greater number of moles you have, the higher your risk factors for melanoma. So it’s very important from an early age to apply sun protection all the time.
About Dr. Shannon Heck, M.D.:
Shannon Heck, M.D., F.A.A.D., is a board certified dermatologist and a partner in a large, thriving dermatologic practice in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. She specializes in general and cosmetic dermatology.