By: Jennifer Brodeur.
With summer fun comes sun and, for most of us, our younger years were full of it. Lake days, summer camps, horseback riding and long afternoons without a drop of sunscreen. It felt harmless then. But skin has a memory, and it’s been keeping score.
The Lasting Impact of Early Sun Exposure
Research shows that approximately 23% of a person’s lifetime UV exposure occurs before the age of 18. By the time someone reaches 20, nearly a quarter of their cumulative sun damage is already done, much of it before they were old enough to understand the consequences.
What Happens Beneath the Surface
Here’s what’s happening beneath the surface: UV radiation both UVA and UVB penetrates skin and damages DNA within skin cells.
UVB rays cause the visible burns we associate with a day at the beach. UVA rays go deeper, silently breaking down collagen and elastin while generating free radicals that mutate cellular DNA. The skin can repair some of this damage, but not all of it. The unrepaired portion accumulates.
Why Childhood Matters
During childhood and adolescence, skin cells divide rapidly, making young skin especially vulnerable to UV-induced DNA mutations. Each sunburn in those early years particularly blistering burns significantly increases the lifetime risk of melanoma. Five or more blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20 increases melanoma risk by 80%.
The damage doesn’t always show up right away. It can lie dormant for decades, eventually surfacing as hyperpigmentation, premature aging, or skin cancer.
A Lifelong Investment
This is why sun protection isn’t just a summer habit — it’s a lifelong investment. The skin your child has today is the skin they’ll carry for life. Protect it early, protect it often.