A sunburn is different than a burn you get when you touch something hot.
Sunburns are from ultraviolet radiation – or UV rays – causing damage to the skin.
When UV rays from the sun reach the skin, they can damage the skin cells and can even cause changes (called 'mutations') in the genetic coding material (DNA) of our cells
Our bodies have a lot of mechanisms to prevent and try to correct these mutations
But if the skin cells get more UV exposure than they can handle, the damage may be beyond repair, and the cells die off.
That leads to a series of responses from our bodies that lead to the appearance and symptoms of a SUNBURN:
Blood vessels dilate to bring more blood flow and immune cells to the skin to help clean up the mess.
This causes the redness, swelling and inflammation of the skin we associate with a sunburn.
The sunburn will eventually heal, but some of the surviving cells will have mutations that escape repair. These cells could eventually lead to premature aging changes of the skin, or even more scary, become abnormal cancer cells.
Symptoms of Sunburn include:
pink/red skin
pain or itching
blisters
peeling skin
swelling
If the burn is severe, symptoms may also include headaches, vomiting, dizziness, or nausea
In order to prevent your skin from looking like this, here are some simple tips to stay safe:
wear clothing that shields you skin from the sun
wear a hat with a wide brim
seek shade
avoid being in the sun for long extents of time
apply sunscreen with at least a 15 SPF & reapply every two hours or after swimming or a lot of sweating.
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