Why does skin burn

Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed skin, including the face, neck and ears and head if you have thinning or no hair , but a wide-brimmed hat is better.

How long it takes for your skin to go red or burn varies from person to person. The Cancer Research UK website has a handy tool where you can find out your skin type , to see when you might be at risk of burning.

This includes straight after you've been in water even if it is "water-resistant" and after towel drying, sweating or when it may have rubbed off. To ensure they get enough vitamin D, children aged under five are advised to take vitamin D supplements even if they do get out in the sun.

Home Illnesses and conditions Injuries Skin injuries Sunburn. About sunburn Sunburn is skin damage caused by ultraviolet UV rays.

What to do if you're sunburnt If you or your child has sunburn, you should get out of the sun as soon as possible — head indoors or into a shady area. The following advice may help to relieve your symptoms until your skin heals: Cool the skin by sponging it with cold water or by having a cold bath or shower — applying a cold compress such as a cold flannel to the affected area may also help. Drink plenty of fluids to cool you down and prevent dehydration.

Take painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to relieve any pain — aspirin should not be given to children under Get treatment advice from your local pharmacy Your nearest pharmacist can advise you on the best treatment if you have sunburn. When to seek medical advice You should contact your GP or the NHS 24 service for advice if you feel unwell or have any concerns about your sunburn, particularly if you are burnt over a large area or have any of the more severe symptoms listed below. Signs of severe sunburn can include: blistering or swelling of the skin oedema chills a high temperature fever of 38C Who's at risk of sunburn?

Dangers of UV rays The short-term risks of sun exposure are sunburn and sun allergy. The longer-term risks over decades include: actinic solar keratoses — rough and scaly pre-cancerous spots on the skin skin cancer — including both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer eye problems — such as photokeratitis snow blindness and cataracts premature ageing of the skin and wrinkling Preventing sunburn Skin should be protected from strong sunlight by covering up with suitable clothing, seeking shade and applying sunscreen.

Summer means lots of out-of-doors time. Whether at beaches, barbeques, hanging out in the park or at the pool, most people catch more sun rays this season than other times of the year.

In the process, some will get a suntan while others, unfortunately, will experience the painful redness, peeling and blistering that can occur with a bad sunburn. So what is the skin up to when it starts soaking up sunlight and changing its hue this summer? Essentially, a suntan results from the body's natural defense mechanism kicking in against damaging ultraviolet sun rays. When the defenses are overwhelmed, a toxic reaction occurs, resulting in sunburn.

The defense mechanism is a pigment called melanin, which is produced by cells in our skin called melanocytes. Melanin absorbs ultraviolet light and dissipates it as heat.

Related: Why does ice cream cause brain freeze? Everyone has about the same number of melanocytes, Chuang said, but people vary in how much and what colors of melanin they produce.

Within several hours, blisters form where whole layers of keratinocytes have been killed. The dead layer lifts away from the layers underneath, and the space between fills up with the fluid that has leaked into the skin. Once inflammation subsides, the lower layer of skin cells begins to grow quickly to replace the dead cells. Post-sunburn peeling is large sheets of dead cells being shed from the upper layer of the skin to make way for this new growth. DNA damage also causes the cells in the upper layer of skin to signal the cells that produce melanin the pigment that gives our hair and skin its colour to get to work.

This is what provides the tan that can come after the redness has faded. The melanin settles over the skin cells to shield them from future UV exposure. In the meantime, you can relieve the discomfort by staying out of the sun, drinking plenty of water, applying a cool compress, and taking over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol.