Sun damage to skin cannot be reversed. Some skin spots are not skin cancer, but can become malignant if untreated. These rough, scaly spots, called actinic keratoses, are caused by prolonged exposure to sun. A dermatologist can remove these spots, allowing the undamaged layers of skin to surface. Children's skin is more sensitive than that of an adult.
Children also spend more time outdoors.
It's important to teach them early to use sunscreen and hats. Cumulative sun damage is especially detrimental to health. Using a sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater would be a good habit to develop. Annually, most dermatologists discover an average of twenty to thirty new cases of melanoma on people who visited the doctor for other reasons, such as rashes. Carcinoma One in eight Americans develop the most common skin cancer, basal cell.