Sunburn

Sunburn is very becoming, but only when it is even - one must be careful not to look like a mixed grill - Noel Coward

Sunburn

image by: tara hunt

HWN Suggests

The science of sunburns

It's summer. That means many people are going experience a sunburn, at one time or another.

You probably already know that sunburns are caused by exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light and can be prevented by sunscreen. But you might not know that sunburns are actually your skin's defensive response to damage from this UV light, and that the most common remedy (aloe vera) has never been proven to be effective in relieving sunburn.

Given that sunburns are such a mundane phenomenon, it's surprising how many questions and misunderstandings are out there. Here's a fuller explanation.

What causes a sunburn?

In short, what we think of…

read full article

Resources

 The science of sunburns

Given that sunburns are such a mundane phenomenon, it's surprising how many questions and misunderstandings are out there. Here's a fuller explanation.

10 Tips For Treating A Bad Sunburn

You were out on the boat all day, you forgot to reapply sunscreen and before you knew it, you scored a nasty sunburn. Or maybe you were just mowing the lawn for an hour -– maybe it was even cloudy -– and it didn't even cross your mind to put on sunscreen. Now you're scorched.

Skinsight

At Skinsight you have access to some of the best medical images in the world. We believe images combined with expert-written knowledge will help you better identify and understand a health concern than by simply using words.

DermNet NZ

It is now clearly apparent that the long-term consequences of overexposure to the sun or other sources of UV radiation are significant. One blistering sunburn is said to double the likelihood of developing skin cancer.

eMedicineHealth

A Skin Cancer Foundation survey found that half of all adults reported at least one sunburn in the past year. One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than double a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Moreover, a person's risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any age.

MedlinePlus

Sunburn results when the amount of exposure to the sun or other ultraviolet light source exceeds the ability of the body's protective pigment, melanin, to protect the skin. Sunburn in a very light-skinned person may occur in less than 15 minutes of midday sun exposure, while a dark-skinned person may tolerate the same exposure for hours.

NHS

Sunburn is skin damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight. With too much exposure to UV light, your skin overheats and becomes red and painful, and may later peel or blister.

Introducing Stitches!

Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!

Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.


Be the first to know when Stitches starts accepting users


Health Cloud

Stay Connected