The Importance of Wearing Sunscreen This Summer

Now that’s summer’s officially here, it may be easier to remember the sunscreen. But how much and what kind should you use to protect your kids?

FOX’s Lisa Brady reports in this week’s ‘FOX on Family’:

Summertime means more time outside and for parents that means more sunscreen. Are you putting enough on your kids often enough?:

(Dr. Siegel) “I want parents to be vigilant about the skin.”

Doctor Marc Siegel with the FOX News Medical A Team, says even three or four sunburns can increase the risk of melanoma:

(Dr. Siegel) “I want them to be looking for abnormalities on the skin, I want them to be lathering on sunscreen and I want them to be concerned about skin cancer, especially these days; we’re seeing more and more of it.”

So his advice is to not only lather on the sunscreen, but reapply it often, especially if the kids are getting wet. And use broad spectrum, but don’t stress about the brand:

(Dr. Siegel) “And you need at least a sun protection factor of 30, that’s a good place to start. The higher numbers you go after that, you don’t add much.”

He also recommends covering up as much as possible, including hats and sunglasses. But what about the vitamin D we all need?:

(Dr. Siegel) “I say, get your vitamin D elsewhere.”

And he urges parents not to forget the sunscreen for themselves.

With FOX on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.

Dr. Siegel also urges parents to check themselves and their children for any abnormalities on the skin and to see a dermatologist if they find any. He says things to watch for are moles with irregular borders, dark borders, raised areas–anything that looks unusual, and he says the darker it is the more suspicious. He also says ultraviolet rays are present even on a cloudy day and they can penetrate clothing, so he always recommends wearing sunscreen and staying in shaded areas as much as possible.

Follow Dr. Siegel on Twitter: @DrMarcSiegel