Slip, Slap, Slop!

It's that time of year again (thank goodness!) - time to break out the sunscreen.

For Dr. Glick, the former president of the American Cancer Society in Mesa, Ariz., the single most common skin problem he sees in young children is sunburn. "Eighty percent of all skin cancer is caused by sunburns that occur before the age of 18," he says.

Follow the common prescription: Slip on a t-shirt, Slap on a hat, and Slop on the sunscreen.

There is some controversy about whether or not children under the age of 6 months can use sunscreen. A doctor recommended to me that I could use sunscreen on my baby, but to be sure to wash it off and not let it stay on the skin longer than a couple of hours. It seemed like a reasonable compromise to me!

If a child suffers a sunburn, Dr. Glick says to hydrate the skin, use Advil or baby aspirin, and cool soaks.