Sunburn manifests as swelling, redness and pain, followed by flaking, peeling and itching. Sometimes blistering occurs. The first symptoms usually occur 6 to 12 hours after exposure, peaking after 24-72 hours. With the combination of bright sun and light skin type, the first damage can be visible after 2 hours. Too much sun is bad for the skin and causes the skin to age faster. It also increases the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. Always take a number of measures to prevent sunburn. Initially go out into the sun for fifteen minutes and then build up slowly, but not between 12 noon and 3 p.m. when the sun is most powerful. Use a good sunscreen with a factor that is adjusted to your skin type. Apply regularly, especially after 2 hours and every time you get out of the water. There are also water-resistant sunscreens. Especially useful for children who go in and out of the water very often.

• What is sunburn?
• Causes of sunburn
• Risk factors
• Six skin types and sunburn
• Symptoms of sunburn
• Treatment of sunburn

• What to do?
• Don’t go out into the sun for the time being
• Drink a lot
• When to consult a doctor?

• Self-care
• Nutrition and vitamins
• Prevent sunburn
• Complications

• Premature skin aging
• Pre-stages of skin cancer
• Skin cancer
• Eye damage

 Too much sun is bad for the skin / Source: Istock.com/LiudmylaSupynska

What is sunburn?

Almost everyone, especially people with a lighter skin type, has been burned by the sun at some point. The medical name for sunburn or sunburn is solar dermatitis . Sunburn manifests itself as a red, painful reaction of the skin as a result of too much ultraviolet (=UV) radiation. Later, flaking, peeling and itching occur and in some cases (visibly fluid-filled) blisters occur. Sunburn occurs in people with a light skin type after a shorter exposure to the sun than in people with a dark skin type.Too much sun is bad for the skin and causes the skin to age faster. It also increases the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.An arm with symptoms of sunburn / Source: Wikioogle=world take over, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Causes of sunburn

Sunburn is caused by exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) light. It is therefore not caused by the sensible heat of the sun, but by the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. You can therefore burn just as well during winter sports at -15°C in Austria as at 30°C on the beach in Scheveningen. You can get sunburn on cool or cloudy days. As much as 80 percent of UV rays pass through the clouds. Snow, sand, water and other surfaces can reflect UV rays, causing your skin to burn just as much as direct sunlight.

Risk factors

Risk factors for sunburn include:

• light skin, blue eyes and red or blond hair
• live or go on holiday in a sunny, warm or high area
• working outside (e.g. roofers and construction workers)
• recreating outside and drinking alcohol
• have had sunburn before
• regularly exposing unprotected skin to UV radiation from sunlight or artificial sources, such as tanning beds
• taking a drug that makes you more likely to sunburn (or drug-induced sun sensitivity)

Six skin types and sunburn

Six skin types are generally distinguished. The first two types are especially sensitive to sunburn.

Symptoms of sunburn

A mild burn causes redness, pain and later flaking, peeling and this is accompanied by itching. A severe burn also causes swelling and blisters; the skin is red and painful. Someone in whom a large part of the skin has been severely burned can become seriously ill as a result of the massive inflammation, with symptoms such as chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, headache or palpitations. Severe sunburn can sometimes also cause petechiae (point bleeding). Normally it takes two to five days for the skin to recover.Paracetamol has an analgesic and fever-reducing effect / Source: Martin Sulman

Treatment of sunburn

What to do?

Get out of the sun immediately at the first sign of sunburn. In case of sunburn, cooling the skin with wet cloths or taking a shower with lukewarm water can relieve the pain. It is advisable not to puncture any blisters, but to leave them alone as much as possible to prevent external bacterial infection. Pain can be relieved with a painkiller, such as paracetamol.

Don’t go out into the sun for the time being

For proper skin recovery, it is important not to expose the skin to the sun for a week. Sun exposure will make sunburn worse.

Drink a lot

Properly hydrating by drinking plenty of water or sports drinks is recommended. Your skin is dry and dehydrated. By replacing lost body fluids, your skin will recover from sunburn faster. If you feel hot as a result of the sunburn, keep your house cool. Turn off the air conditioning and use a fan to blow cool air over the skin.

When to consult a doctor?

Consult your doctor if you have severe sunburn with symptoms such as swelling, blisters, palpitations, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and headache.Cloudy apple cider vinegar / Source: Veganbaking.net, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-2.0)

Self-care

Place a cool (not cold) compress or wet cloths on sunburned skin for immediate pain relief. You can also take a lukewarm shower or bath to cool your burned skin. Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to a bath to balance the pH of sunburned skin and promote healing. You can also immerse the burned areas of skin in an oatmeal bath. This works especially well against itching due to burning. Add some lavender or chamomile essential oil to the bath to ease the pain. You can also add 2 cups of baking soda to the bath to reduce irritation and redness caused by sunburn. Avoid soaps or perfumes in the bath water as they can have a drying effect on already dry and sunburned skin.

Nutrition and vitamins

Certain foods and vitamins can ease the pain of sunburn:

• Apply cool, not cold, milk to your burned skin with a clean cloth. The milk will create a protein layer that helps relieve the discomfort of sunburn.
• Like milk, yogurt can be applied to burned skin. This has a soothing effect on the affected skin.
• Vitamin E is an antioxidant and can help reduce inflammation caused by sunburn. Use vitamin E oil on the skin or take a regular dose of the supplement. Vitamin E oil can also be applied to flaky skin.
• Cucumbers have natural antioxidant and analgesic properties. Cool cucumbers, then grind them in a blender and make a paste. Then apply to sunburned areas of the skin, including the face. Cucumber can also be soothing for flaky skin after a sunburn.
• Cornstarch can also be mixed with water to form a paste that can be applied to the skin to help soothe sunburn.

 Using Sunscreen to Prevent Sunburn / Source: Asiandelight/Shutterstock.com

Prevent sunburn

To prevent sunburn, observe the following measures:

• Avoid bright sun, especially between noon and 3 p.m., as the sun’s power is always strongest around noon.
• Don’t stay in the sun for too long in early spring. Let the skin gradually get used to the sun. For example, start with fifteen minutes and gradually build up.
• Keep babies out of the sun by placing them under a parasol or using a sun hat.
• Clothing blocks a large part of the UV, but not all of it. It should be noted that there is a large difference in light transmittance between the different fabrics. Headgear with a wide brim is suitable for protecting the scalp. This is especially important with short hair or a balding head.
• Sunglasses with a good UV filter are important to prevent damage to the eyes.
• A good sunscreen helps prevent sunburn. Apply every two hours and certainly after swimming. Preferably use a water-resistant sunscreen, especially for children.
• If you are hypersensitive to sunlight, a ‘sun blocker’, or a sunscreen that provides extra protection, can be used.
• Read the package leaflet of the medicines you use, as some medicines make the skin hypersensitive to sunlight.

Which sunscreen to use? The table below provides a guideline as to which cream is most suitable for which skin type:

Complications

Frequent sunburn increases the risk of permanent skin damage and certain diseases, such as premature aging of your skin (so-called ‘photo-aging’) and skin cancer. Photo-aging is the biggest cause of skin aging.Age spots on the back of the hand / Source: Alain Gérard, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-4.0)

Premature skin aging

Sun exposure and repeated sunburns accelerate the aging process of the skin, making you look older than your age. Skin changes caused by UV light are called photo-aging. The consequences of photo-aging are:

• weakening of connective tissues, causing the skin to become less strong and lose its elasticity
• deep wrinkles
• dry, rough skin
• fine red veins on your cheeks, nose and ears
• freckles, usually on your face and shoulders
• dark or discolored spots on your face, backs of hands, arms, chest, and upper back, also called lentigines or age spots

Pre-stages of skin cancer

Pre-cancerous lesions appear as rough, scaly patches in sun-damaged areas. They can be whitish, pink, brown or tan. They are usually found on the sunlit areas of the head, face, neck and hands of fair-skinned people. These spots can evolve into skin cancer. These spots are called actinic keratoses.Melanoma / Source: National Cancer Institute, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Skin cancer

Excessive sun exposure, even without sunburn, increases the risk of skin cancer, such as melanoma. It can damage the DNA of skin cells. Sunburn in childhood and adolescence can increase the risk of developing melanoma later in life. Skin cancer mainly develops on parts of the body most exposed to sunlight, such as scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms, hands and legs. Skin cancer on the leg is more common in women than in men.

Eye damage

The sun can also burn your eyes. Too much UV light damages the retina, lens or cornea. Sun damage to the lens can lead to clouding of the lens (cataract). Burned eyes may feel painful or gritty. Sunburn of the cornea is also called snow blindness.

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