The UV Index is Getting New Attention from Kids and it's Not for the Reason You Think

As most people know, the UV Index is the scale from 1 to 11+ reflecting the strength of the sun's UV rays. As we climb the scale, the risk of sunburn increases. We can all find the UV risk on apps like the EPA's Sunwise UV Index.(1)

​I've discussed this before, but it bears repeating: Protecting yourself and your children from sunburns is extremely important, as the number and severity of sunburns you get as a child has a direct relationship to your risk of melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) as adults.(2,3) And interestingly, it appears that people who get sunburned in childhood but not in adulthood have a similar increase in their risk of skin cancer as people who sunburned all throughout their lives.(4)

To dig further on that point: Researchers asked a very large cohort of women (170,000) about sunburns they'd received in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. They placed women into categories based on the stages of life in which they reported sunburns (never, only in childhood, only in adolescence, only in adulthood, and all throughout life). They also collected the women's diagnoses of melanoma and SCC. 

Women who reported sunburns only in childhood had a similar increase in risk for melanoma and SCC as women who reported consistent sunburns throughout all stages of life. Despite having had fewer cumulative burns, the women who only burned in childhood (perhaps they remembered the pain and changed their ways?) had similar risk of skin cancer as women who burned throughout life. Scary. (4)

Bringing the Point Home (along with the Sunscreen)

Understanding the special risk childhood sunburns present, I, along with all the moms I know, lathered my kids up in sunscreen when outside for any length of time. I nagged (and present day, NAG) them to put sunscreen on for sports, when going swimming, and anytime they're outdoors. I've rammed the point home over and over to them. (Their grandfather passed away from melanoma in 2018 and they were old enough to remember that.)

But recently I've been astounded and concerned to hear my 13 year old talking about being tan, and "keeping her nice tanned legs" and searching for products to boost the look of her tan. My husband has heard girls on our 10 year old's softball team asking,"What's the UV today?" to get excited about the chance of tanning.


"What's the UV today?" she asked, excitedly.

​How is this possible, what with the *disproportionate* emphasis on skin care, skin care routines, skin care products, the application of said products, the unboxing of said products, the "Get Ready with Me" videos and tutorials. It's just so f%676ing anathema to the idea of burning (=damaging) your skin! Tanning your skin is essentially letting the sun cook you, like one does intentionally with a marshmallow over a campfire. But instead of the fire on the ground, it's a big flaming ball in the sky! What a hypocritical disconnect these teens are displaying! I'm going crazy!


Hallmarks of the Teen Years

Risky behavior, pushing boundaries and finding oneself are hallmarks of adolescence. So why not ensure the other hallmark of adolescence - being mortified by one's parents - is still going strong.

How, you ask, will I embarrass my kids today? I'm pledging to continue to educate my kids, tell them the facts about health hazards of sunburns and UV rays, pushing bottles of sunscreen into their laps as they sunbath on the beach. And I'll do these things while standing in front of my daughter and her friends...preferably while wearing the dorkiest fishing hat with the biggest, most obnoxious brim I can find.


1. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/epas-sunwise-uv-index/id466052686
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10724097/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3269110/
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9535508/