Who doesn't love a nice warm sunny day? After the longest winter ever Minnesotans are determined to soak up each and every moment of sunshine we can. Vitamin D, right?
It's all good as long as you're protecting yourself from the sun. July is UV Protection Month and Dr. Pamela Gigi Chawla, senior medical director of Primary Care for Children's Hospital, has a lot of tips for families who are trying to make the most of the sun.
-Be proactive and preventitve. Wear sunscreen from the beginning, don't wait until you start seeing color.
-Speaking of color, if you are seeing red, it's time to go in. "Your skin is giving you a warning sign," Dr. Chawla said noting it's important to just head in at that point, not to start reapplication.
-Reapply. "You can't assume you're covered for hours upon hours, you must reapply," Dr. Chawla said.
-Rashguards, protective clothing and sun hats. If your child is going to be swimming or at the beach, this is a simple way to help protect them from the sun without having to constantly reapply sunscreen to their arms and torso.
-If you or your child get burnt, stay hydrated and use a topical soothing agent {like aloe or coconut oil} and over the counter pain relief. "Your skin is the largest organ of your body, so take care of it," Dr. Chawla said.
-It's especially important that if your baby gets sunburnt you stay on top of it as babies can lose a lot of heat and water and sunburns can cause fluid issues.
