Young skin is delicate, thinner, and produces less melanin, a skin protecting pigment. Ultra violet (UV) rays reach the skin’s pigment producing melanin cells, called melanocytes, and cause DNA damage to the skin.
Parents need to be extra vigilant about sun protection all the time. Just one blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life.
Babies and children of all skin colors need sun protection. While people who have dark skin tones develop far fewer skin cancers than those who have light skin tones, when they do develop skin cancers, they’re more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage and have worse outcomes.
