Sunburn 101
Common questions about the fire ball in the sky and how our skin react to its rays.
I recently went on holiday but I didn’t wear any sunblock because I thought the weather was quite cool. But then I noticed some areas of redness around my cheeks. Is this sunburn?
Sunburn can occur anywhere on the skin. It is an area of red, painful skin that feels hot when you touch it. It usually appears within a few hours after you are exposed to ultra-violet (UV) light.
Sunburn can affect any part of the body which is exposed to UV light. Even your lips and earlobes can burn.
For men who like to shave their head bald, beware of going outside without a cap. Your scalp can get sunburned.
Your eyes, which are exposed to the sun, can also get sunburned!
Even if you wear clothes, you are not fully protected from sunburn. Certain types of material which have loose weaving can allow the UV light through.
I can only get sunburn from the sun, right?
Actually, no. You just have to be exposed to too much UV light, which can come from the sun or artificial sources, like sunlamps and tanning beds.
UV radiation is comprised of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). This is a wave from sunlight that cannot be seen by the naked eye, unlike colours of the light spectrum,
But the day was mostly overcast with clouds. How could I have been sunburned?
That’s the fallacy most people have about sunburn. As much as 80% of UV rays can pass through clouds. So, even if it’s a cloudy day, you can get sunburned if you are not careful.
You can even get sunburn in winter, or even in the Arctic. Snow, ice, sand, water and other surfaces can reflect UV light, making it as bad as direct sunlight.
That’s why you can get sunburned even when you go on a skiing holiday.
Is it only red skin that denotes sunburn? My cheeks actually feel a little itchy.
Sunburn can manifest in the following manner:
> Pink or red skin
> Skin that feels warm or hot to the touch
> Pain and tenderness
> Itching
> Swelling
> The appearance of small fluid-filled blisters, which may break and leak fluid
> Headaches, fever, chills and tiredness (for severe sunburn)
> Painful or gritty eyes (for sunburned eyes)
How long does sunburn last?
Sunburn usually appears a few hours after exposure, and may last for days. Within a few days, your body will try to heal itself by allowing the top layer of damaged skin to be “peeled”.
After this layer is peeled, your affected skin may have an irregular pattern or colour. This usually lasts for several days, or even weeks.
Why does sunburn happen?
You have a dark pigment in your skin called melanin. Some races have more melanin than others – this is what gives your skin its dark colour. If you are light-skinned, you have less melanin.
When you are exposed to UV light, your body quickens the production of melanin in order to protect your skin. This is why you tan when you go under UV light too much.
Unfortunately, some people just don’t produce enough melanin to protect the skin. So your skin starts to burn.
Is sunburn dangerous?
Sunburn is more dangerous than most people give it credit for.
Sunburn can lead to:
> Infection – when your sunburn blisters rupture, bacteria can set in and cause pus to ooze.
> When you repeatedly expose yourself to the sun, this can cause your skin to prematurely age. You will actually look older than you really are. This is called photo-ageing.
This is because the sun weakens your skin’s connective tissue and makes it less elastic. This will lead to deep wrinkles, rough skin, fine red veins, freckles and dark solar spots.
> The worst thing repeated sunburn can do to you is give you skin cancer.
These skin lesions can start as whitish, tan, pink or brown rough scaly patches called actinic (solar) keratosis.
> Eye damage – if you expose your eyes too much to the sun, you can get premature cataracts. If your cornea is sunburned, this is called snow blindness.
How can sunburn be treated?
Of course, prevention is better than cure.
Sunblock is very important, especially when you live in a tropical country.
Basically, doctors can prescribe painkillers or medicines to reduce the itch. But if there are complications, these will be treated accordingly.
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
