A child’s skin is very sensitive, unlike adults. Marks on a child’s skin could remain until he turns into an adult. For example, if a child always stays under the heat of the sun, he or she could develop freckles but keratosis or pigmentation could develop later on in life.
There are certain risks for having skin abnormalities, and we’ll take the case of keratosis and pigmentation. Melanin and keratin are involved in such skin disorders. Keratosis is the overproduction of keratin (protein component of hair and nails) while pigmentation is the overproduction of melanin (responsible for skin tone). These two are important when it comes to certain bodily functions. Mainly, keratin is for protection because hair protects the head, while melanin prevents over penetration of ultraviolet rays in our skin. Keratin and melanin are harmless, but too much of it is not good for the skin.
Keratosis
People with fair skin tone are more affected by sunlight than darker skinned people. Crusty and scaly bumps on skin are the common symptoms of actinic keratosis.
Keratosis Pilaris – this condition causes goosebump-like skin. It is a genetic follicular condition. Extra keratin is jammed into the skin’s hair follicles; therefore it accumulates until it grows.
Seborrheic Keratosis – could resemble a waxy stuck on brown wart.
Now, how do you prevent your children from having them? Actually, the answer is you could not, but you could lower the risks. Factors that trigger this cannot be avoided, just like the sunlight or your genetic make up. If keratosis is inherent in your family, then your possibility of getting it are high. This kind of skin condition has no cure, but it can be treated or diminished. Choices of medication are either surgical or pharmaceutical.
Pigmentation
Pigmentation of the skin is not really bad, but hyperpigmentation is, if it causes uneven skin tone. Melanin actually prevents excessive ultraviolet rays to get into the skin. The quantity of melanin is directly proportional to skin tone. Excessive exposure to the sun could cause uneven pigmentation of the skin. Hiding yourself from too much sunlight with the use of umbrellas is a way to prevent too much sun exposure. Applying sunscreen is another way. Uneven skin pigmentation can also be prevented with lotions containing high sun protection factor.
So, the most effective way to prevent these skin problems is to avoid too much sunlight, especially from 10 AM to 4 PM. It is important to remember that children also need sunlight for vitamin D acquisition, but too much can be bad for them.
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