Program teaches comforting sun also harmful
Amore Hall learned the value of wearing sunblock to protect her skin. Malik Dennis learned he should wear protective clothing and sunglasses on hot days.
T’keya Hunter learned the importance of washing her face every day.
These 12-year-olds, along with several others enrolled in the Young Inspiration summer program, recently learned firsthand simple steps they can take to protect themselves from the potentially damaging rays of the sun.
Collene J. Musho of the southwestern region of the state Department of Health and Lynette Talpas, a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, led the group activity.
Though it provides comforting warmth and light, the sun also produces potentially harmful rays that can damage our eyes and skin, especially during the hot temperatures experienced lately, said Talpas.
Talpas said while most people know the sun is bad for their skin, they may be surprised to find out just how much damage days spent at the pool or in the tanning bed could cause.
She said up to 90 percent of the changes we associate with aging – lines, wrinkles and discoloration – can be attributed to sun exposure.
For children, signs of sun damage may not show until the age of 20, when the damage is done.
Talpas said the good news is that many experts believe improved habits and the right tools and treatment can reverse as much as 80 percent of skin damage caused by the sun.
“We want you to enjoy your time outside,” Talpas told the children.
And they looked at safe ways to do just that.
Through Derma View, a device that uses a black light to analyze sun damage on the skin, students saw the good and bad areas of the skin on their face and learned simple steps on how to prevent damage from occurring or getting worse.
She recommended students wash their face twice a day – once when they get up in the morning and before they go to bed at night – and to use skin products that may help problem areas.
Musho advised students to wear sunblock with sun protection factor (SPF) numbers printed on the label and to purchase sunglasses that also have a number for ultraviolet radiation (UV) protection.
“If it just says ‘UV’ without a number, it probably won’t do,” Musho said. “Make sure what you buy is protecting your eyes.”
She also warned students that family members with asthma, emphysema or congestive heart failure, which may cause their legs to swell, have a more difficult time coping with extreme heat and sun. Their energy becomes zapped and their muscles don’t receive oxygen, causing them to tire easily and feel cramped, explained Musho.
“That’s why physicians give good medications to help control these conditions,” she added.
Talpas said sports-induced asthma afflicts some children, including her daughter, and requires them to use an inhaler to control asthma attacks before and after sports activities.
She advised students to be aware of tiring easily or having a hard time catching their breath, signs that they may have this type of asthma and need to see a doctor.
“You may not experience those signs constantly, but just when you play sports,” said Talpas.
Young Inspiration, a nonprofit organization based in Uniontown, provides youth with year-round programs free of charge.
Their five-week summer program hosts not only students from the Uniontown Area School District, but those returning to the area from out of state, according to Alice Coleman, Young Inspiration director.
About 50 to 100 youths are enrolled in the summer program, Coleman said.
The summer program allows students to participate in a variety of activities from arts and crafts and field trips to hands-on activities such as learning how to fly fish, which also was presented to the students on Thursday.
Students like Hunter, under the supervision of teachers and staff, enjoyed canoeing at Dunlap Creek Lake Park in Menallen Township as an incentive for good grades and good attendance this past summer.
Other programs featured this summer taught students about water and water quality, ticks and insects, and the West Nile virus, including how to report dead and dying birds by calling the Department of Health’s toll-free hotline at 1-877-PA-HEALTH.
For more information on Young Inspiration or any of its programs, call 724-438-1966 or visit the office, which is located off Connellsville Street in Uniontown.
Parents can ask to be a part of the Young Inspiration Parents program.