When most parents think about protecting their children from the sun, they often focus on using sunscreen to prevent skin damage and sunburn. However, UV rays are just as dangerous to the eyes, especially in children who have less developed lenses.
The following facts about UV safety and other tips by Parents will help you keep you kids’ eyes and skin safe from the sun.
- There are three types of UV radiation — UVA, UVB, and UVC. The latter is unable to pass through the earth’s atmosphere, but the other two are dangerous for both the eyes and skin. To prevent UV ray harm to your kids, always seek out broad-spectrum sunscreen and sunglasses with at least 99 percent UVA and UVB protection.
- When purchasing sunglasses, 40.5 percent of people fail to check for safety information.
- Short-term effects of UV light include sunburn of the eyes, hypersensitivity to light and red or swollen eyes. Cumulative damage can lead to conditions that permanently affect vision, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, pterygium and cancer of the eye or skin around the eye.
- UV light is almost twice as intense between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. than during other hours of the day.
- Sunscreen does not start working until 20 to 30 minutes after application. Make sure your kids wait before heading outdoors to ensure the sunscreen remains on their skin.
- Babies under six months old should not use sunscreen, and therefore need to stay out of direct sunlight.
- Reflected light can damage eyes just as easily as direct UV rays from the sun. The most dangerous surfaces are water (reflecting up to 100 percent of UV rays), snow (reflecting up to 85 percent), dry sand and concrete (up to 25 percent) and grass (up to 3 percent).
You can protect your children’s eyes from the sun all year round with a pair of shades from Real Kids. Check out our collection of stylish sunglasses to find a design your kids will love to wear.