GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A local doctor is reminding parents and athletes to remember the importance of sunscreen protection during their hours of baseball, tennis, basketball and other outdoor activities.

Dr. Asha Shajahan is a primary care physician at Corewell Health. She said that an SPF sunscreen of at 30 is recommended for kids. 

“The reason we say 30 is because a 30 SPF gives about 97% protection against the sun,” she said. “So anything SPF 30 is good. Make sure it’s water resistant and you want to apply it about 15 to 30 minutes before heading out to any kind of activity or before you’re in that kind of activity.” 

Shajahan also mentioned another important step that many athletes may forget during their hours outside: reapplying sunscreen every two hours. 

“I think that’s the part where people kind of forget," she said. "They might lather it on before the game, but then throughout the game they don’t really do that.” 

Shajahan mentioned UV glasses and lip balm as additional useful products athletes can use to protect themselves. 

For coaches, keeping a tent that provides shade and giving kids breaks in between playing can make a huge difference. 

“What we want our coaches to do is make sure they encourage frequent water breaks,” Shajahan said. “Because hydration is key for skin healing and keeping our kids safe also from getting dehydrated.” 

Shajahan pointed out several signs, such as extreme skin redness and changing moles for people to be aware of if their skin is damaged from excessive time in the sun. If a child comes home with sun burn and their skin isn’t improving after using cold compresses or aloe vera, they should see a doctor, she said. 

“Also, if your child has been out in the sun a lot and they have moles or changing moles that have a different kind of asymmetry to pattern," she said. "It’s not perfectly round or it starts having different hues of brown inside the lesion, you might want to take them to your primary care doctor or to a dermatologist. To make sure it’s not turning into a precancerous lesion.” 

Shajahan encourages people to enjoy themselves and to have fun in the sun, but to do so safely. 

“Have a great summer. Stay out in the sun, but make sure you bring that sunscreen, wear a hat, sunglasses and stay protected," she said.