What is sunburn? What causes sunburn? Get insights on the meaning of sunburn and sunburn rash. You will also learn more on the sunburn causes, signs, first aid measures, how to prevent and get rid of sunburn.
What Is Sunburn?
Sunburn is a skin inflammation caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiations from the sun for a period of time. When you expose your skin on the sun for a long time especially from 10am to 12pm, you may be subjecting your skin to harmful suns burning rays.
The sun emits three wavelengths of ultraviolet rays: the UVA, UVB and UVC. The most that affects the living tissues such as the skin includes the UVA and UVB radiations. UVC radiations does not have effects since it does not reach the earth surface.
It is not only necessary to develop sunburns on a hot sunny days. You can also be affected on a cool or cloudy weather as long as the large percentage of the ultraviolet rays passes through the clouds. Different objects or surfaces such as the clouds, water and sand can reflect the harmful rays to your skin to cause sunburn.
You may be exposing your skin on the sun thinking that you will develop a protective tan but you end up exposing it to ultraviolet rays. A suntan is your body’s self-defense mechanism that helps in protecting the skin.
This depends with the type of your skin, genetic composition, the sun intensity and the duration you spend out to the sun. Some people may not develop enough melanin to protect the skin from harmful solar radiations.
Light and hypersensitive skins are likely to develop sunburns than darker skin when overexposed to the sun. Ultraviolet rays causes such skins to burn causing swellings, redness and pain. This process is gradual, you may not feel the pain immediately.
The skin may start by being cool and then develops inflammations later. You need to get sunburn treatment immediately after the first signs. The duration on how long does sunburn last depends on the damage caused.
However, according to WebMD, sunburn is the most sign showing that you are overexposing yourself to the sun but other sun damages are invisible and may have long term side effects to your skin. The ultraviolet rays can penetrate your skin to cause alteration of your DNA.
When your body DNA is damaged, you are at risk of developing skin cancer and other skin complications including melanoma. Repeatedly overexposure to the sun can also cause permanent symptoms of sunburn such as skin wrinkles, dryness freckles and scars.
What Causes Sunburn?
What is sunburn causes? It is caused by ultraviolet rays from the sun and other artificial sources such as tanning lamps, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or welding arcs. It occurs when you expose yourself on the sun or other artificial sources for a prolonged period of time.
The body produces melanin that protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays. It also gives the skin the dark color. However, some people produces less melanin and hence they may be at risk of getting sunburns when overexposed to the sun or other sources that produces ultraviolet rays.
Less exposure to ultraviolet rays may only cause a suntan while overexposure may cause life threatening complications. The ultraviolet rays are the main cause of cancerous tumors on the skin according to Wikipedia. It is recommended to wear protective clotting’s and sunscreens when going out for a long time. They help to prevent the skin from sunburn and other types of skin problems caused by the UV rays.
Sunburn is a common skin condition that affect many people. According to CDC, a research done in United States showed that an approximate of 50% of adults between the ages of 18 to 29 have at least encountered a sunburn in their life.
Sunburns can occur to any part of the body that is exposed to the ultraviolet radiations. In most cases it affects the forehead, legs, back, nose, cheeks and hands. Some people may also have sunburned lips especially young children.
Can Sunburn Cause Swelling
Swelling is a common problem that may occur after a sunburn. In most cases it occurs on the feet. The swelling can be mild or serious. There different conditions that can cause swelling. Some may be mild swellings whiles others may be severe and life threatening. You are supposed to visit your doctor to determine the specific cause of the swellings on your body.
If the swelling occurs immediately after the sunburn, then it may be a result of inflammations of your body as the healing process continues. A sunburn causes first degree of burn to your body. This may cause inflammations and pains which affects the expanded blood capillaries on the affected area. This process causes swellings that disappears on their own after some time.
Not all swelling are caused by sunburn. You are supposed to consult your doctor to determine the exact cause of the swelling. There are other conditions that may cause swellings of the feet and other parts of the body. A condition like lymphedema may also cause swelling of the feet.
What Is Sunburn Rash
Sunburn rash is a skin reaction to UVA and UVB rays. Like what is sunburn and sun poisoning, a sunburn rash occurs when you expose yourself to ultraviolet rays from the sun and other sources. A sunburn rash is characterized by small and itchy red bumps on the skin.
If you are affected with sunburn rash you may also experience other symptoms such as sunburn rash bumps, blisters, chills, dizziness and headache. This symptoms may be mild or severe depending with the severity of the sun damage. Lighter and hypersensitive skins are more likely to suffer from sunburn rash than darker skins when exposed to ultraviolet rays.
You are likely to develop sunburn rash from unprotected sun exposure. Apply sunscreens every time you go out on sunny days. Limit yourself from the sun especially when taking skin lightening medications. They make your skin to become sensitive to ultraviolet rays.
Exposing your skin to the sun on ground elevations also increases your chances of getting a rash. Visit your doctor for sunburn rash treatment in case the effect is intense. There is also other ways on how to get rid of sunburns and sunburn rashes by applying home remedy treatments for sunburn.
How to Prevent Sunburn
The risk of getting sunburnt is higher between 10am and 2pm when the sun rays are very intense. When you overexpose yourself to the sun during this time, you are likely to get a sunburn and other skin problems like skin cancer. During this time the UVA and UVB rays are intense to cause harmful effects to your skin.
You are also not supposed to estimate the intensity of the sun by the weather condition. The ultraviolet rays can still pass through light clouds. Other objects and surfaces such as the snow can reflect the UV rays to cause sunburn on your skin. You are supposed to observe the following measures to prevent the sunburn:
- Limit your exposure to the sun especially when the sun intensity is strong. You may stay indoors or outside in the shade.
- Ensure that you apply enough amount of sunscreen before going out for an event on a sunny day. You have to carry some and reapply after every two hours if you have to spend the whole day outside. Buy sunscreen that has high sun protection factor [SPF]. The SPF should always be of 50 for best protection.
- Wear protective clotting’s such as long sleeved and a hat. You are also supposed to protect the eyes by wearing sunglasses when going out.
Take good care of your young children. Their young skin is still delicate and it can easily be damaged by the sun. You should minimize the time they spend out on the sun.
Sunburn First Aid
Immediately you discovers the first signs and symptoms of sunburn, you should perform a first aid on the affected area or the whole skin. The signs and symptoms may appear after a few hours of exposure to intense sun rays. You may be asking yourself what is sunburn symptoms, they include inflammations, redness, swellings, chills, nausea, headache and sometimes blistering
The following first aid measures helps to reduce the severity of the sunburn:
- A cool compress. Place a towel in a cold tap water and place over the affected area. Repeat the procedure 5 times or more until it cools. Instead of a cool compress you may also take a cold shower or bath. It helps to soothe the body.
- Take an over the counter painkillers to relieve the pain and the inflammations.
- Apply on the affected area an Aloe Vera gel. It helps to soothe the skin.
- Apply on the affected area topical anesthetic. You may use benzocaine.
- Apply a skin moisturizer on the skin.
- Avoid exposing yourself to the sun or use protective clotting’s while going out.
In case the symptoms persists after performing the first aid measures, visit your dermatologist for medication. Alternatively you may try home remedies for sunburns using some of natural resources within your locality.
Signs of Sunburn on Lips
What is sunburn on lips? What are the signs? Exposing or basking on the sun too much causes the lips to be damaged by ultraviolet rays. Unlike to the skin, lips becomes more burned because they are not covered or protected as compared to the skin.
Overexposure to the sun causes the lips to dry and form cracks that may cause bleeding. They may become itchy and inflamed. Young children are more prone to sunburn on lips as compared to adults. Their lips are formed by soft tissues that are not fully developed. This is the major reason why more children have bleeding lips after spending more playing outside.
Lips are part of the body that is exposed. Almost everybody you meet with will discover that you have a problem with your lips after a sunburn. You will notice the following sunburn on lips symptoms a few hours or a day after exposing yourself on the intense sun rays for a longer time:
- An inflammation or a burning sensation of the lips
- They become dehydrated and forms a rough texture.
- Cracks develops on the surface of the lips.
- After the cracks have developed they may start to bleed if no treatment is taken.
- Sunburn blisters on lips may develop.
- They become swollen and may start to itch
- They may also peel off after few days.
Sunburn Pictures
You can also learn on the various pictures showing sunburnt skin. From the pictures we can see that the exposed areas such as the hands, face, legs and upper part of the back are more affected. The pictures are also showing the different stages of sunburn on the skin.
The protected or covered areas are less damaged from the pictures. You should therefore ensure that you apply sunscreens and wear protective clothing’s while going out for long hours. Such clothes incudes long sleeved, a hat and goggles.
What Are the Symptoms of Sunburn?
The sunburn symptoms usually appears a day or several days after overexposing yourself on the sun and other sources that produces the ultraviolet rays. The symptoms may be mild or severe depending with the time you spend out on the sun, sun intensity and the type of your skin.
A sunburn can damage any part of your body that is exposed, in most cases it affects the face, scalp, neck, earlobes, hands and legs. It can also damage the other areas of your body. For instance, clothes that are loose and light can allow the ultraviolet rays to penetrate through. This can cause damage to other parts of your body.
After a sunburn, you will notice the following symptoms:
- Pinkness or the affected areas may turn reddish.
- The body temperature rises. You may feel warmth when you touch your skin.
- Severe burning causes swellings and sunburn blisters.
- Painful and irritating skin.
- Flue like symptoms such as headache, fever, weakness and nausea
A few days after the appearance of the symptoms, your skin will start to a healing process by peeling off the affected layer of dead skin cells. During the healing process your skin may develop temporal patches that will disappear by time. However, the duration on how long does sunburn last will depend with the severity of the damage according to mayoclinic.
In some cases, the signs and symptoms may be severe and resistant to home remedies for sunburn. Such as the use a cold compress and Aloe Vera gel. You are supposed to visit your dermatologist in case you may encounter the following severe signs of a sunburn:
- Increased swellings that causes blistering that affects a large area of your body.
- High fever that may be accompanied with serious headache and body weakness.
- Extreme pains and tenderness on the affected areas.
- A yellow discharge from the blisters.
While on exposure to the sun, you may not estimate it’s intensity since the symptoms usually appears several hours later. Breezes on the sea may cool your body. This makes it difficult to realize that your skin is getting burnt from the sun rays.
Sunburn may be a mild indication to exposure of ultraviolet rays. There are other major long-term effects that are caused by the UV rays. It may penetrate your skin to damage the inner tissues. For instance, when your DNA is damaged it may cause serious condition such as skin cancer.
The symptoms of sunburn in babies can be worse and compared to adults. Their skins are still young and are not fully developed to protect themselves from ultraviolet rays. You are supposed to cover and protect your baby from sunrays.
You are supposed to be very careful when exposing yourself to the sun especially between 10 am and 2pm. During this time the sun intensity is too high to cause a skin damage. Apply deep sunscreen and wear protective clothing’s while going out on a sunny day.
Symptoms of Sunburn Rash
What is sunburn rash? This is an itchy rash and reddening of the skin caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays. Medically, it is known as solar dermatitis. The rash develops as a results of skin reactions to ultraviolet rays from the sun.
Sunburn rash is common and visible to individuals who have fair or light skin. Such skin has laser melanin as compared to darker skins. Melanin is an important element of the skin. It helps in protecting the skin against harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.
In most cases the sunburn rashes is a result of the body reactions to the healing of the damaged skin by ultraviolet rays. The rashes can also be severe to cause more skin damage. After several days of exposure to a high sun intensity for long time, you may develop the following symptoms of sunburn rash:
- Red and itchy bumps on the affected parts of the skin.
- Blisters
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea
- Headache
- Body weakness.
You may experience all or some of the symptoms above depending with the severity of the rush. When the rashes are mild, you may only experience small, red and itchy bumps on your skin that eventually causes blistering.
In some people the rashes may appear like traditional sunburn which formed red, swollen and inflamed skin. It develops to blisters which peels upon healing. While other people may develop raised lumps on the surface of the skin.
The severity of the rash can easily be determined by dermatological observation. You may use natural sunburn rash remedies to treat the rash. For instance, applying a mixture of baking soda and water on the affected area helps to reduce the rash pain. Calamine solution is a good recommendation for itchy rash.
The rash can also result from excessive dehydration of your body through sweating. You need to ensure that your body is hydrated back. Drinking water and taking a cold shower helps to reduce excessive heat in the body. Use antibacterial soap to wash the blisters. Avoid using hard soaps as it may cause irritations on the affected areas.
A cold compress on the affected areas using cold water or milk is also very beneficial on how to get rid of sunburns rash symptoms. It helps remove excessive heat on the affected area.
Sunburn Symptoms in Children
Sunburn is a body reaction as a result of overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun and other sources. Several sunburns can cause premature aging of the skin by forming wrinkles on the skin. Overexposure to ultraviolet rays can also cause long-term side effects such as skin cancer.
Children spends most of their time outdoors playing without knowing the damage that the sun can cause to their skin. Overexposure to sunrays especially from 10am to 2pm during the summer season causes more skin damage. Children have a young skin that is likely to be damaged by the sun. Their skin are not fully developed to protect themself from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Unprotected overexposure to the sun is very dangerous especially to the kids who have very fair skin, moles, freckles or family history of cancer. They may experience the following symptoms of sunburn a few hours after prolonged exposure to the sunrays.
- Skin redness
- Itches
- Painful skin
- Skin blistering
- Swelling
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Some kids may only develop mild symptoms which are skin redness, itches and pain while others may have severe sunburn symptoms. If you notice that your kid is affected by the sunburn, you are supposed to take the following first aid measures immediately.
- Remove your kid from the sun and place him or her in a cool place. Shower or bathe your child with cold tap water. Alternatively, you can apply a cold compress on the affected area. It helps to remove excessive heat from the body.
- Give him or her water or fluids to drink for the next 3 days. It helps to hydrate the body by replacing the lost water through sweating.
- Apply moisturizers. You may use Aloe Vera gel. It helps to soothe the skin by relieving the discomfort.
- Give your child painkillers such as ibuprofen if the sunburn is painful.
When children are going out to play, you are supposed to ensure that they are protected from the ultraviolet rays. Apply sunscreens on their skin and give them protective clothing’s such as long sleeved dresses, a hat and goggles.
Young baby who is below 6 month can also suffer from newborn sunburn. The best protection is to keep your baby in a shade. You may use minimal sunscreen that has low sun protection factor of 15 on the skin that is exposed like the face and hands.
Sunburn Peeling Symptoms
When you expose your skin to the sun for a prolonged duration, it is damaged by the ultraviolet rays from the sun. The UV rays kills the cells of the upper layer of the skin by drying them. After several days of the damage, the skin develops a natural reaction to repair the damaged skin by building new cells to replace the shading dead cells.
The symptoms of sunburn peeling are always visible. The damaged top skin layer starts by becoming dry and then it develops cracks. It remains sitting on the skin surface to guard the developing new cells. After the underlying cells are fully developed, the dead skin cells will now start to shade off from your body.
Unfortunately, no remedy is recommended on how to get rid of sunburns peeling. You have to be patience with your skin and give it enough time to heal and rejuvenate itself. The peeling process may take several days. After the new cells are fully developed, you may use the procedure below to remove the peeling skin.
- Take a lukewarm bath or shower. It helps to loosen the dead cells for easy peeling. Avoid hot water as it may cause irritation or damage to the new cells.
- After bathing, use a soft wet towel to wipe away the peeling dead cells. Do it gently, rubbing too much may also damage the new skin cells.
- Use a dry towel to dry yourself. Remove all the hanging peels by cutting off with scissors. Avoid pulling.
- Apply a moisturizer cream on the affected areas. Aloe Vera gel is good for soothing the skin.
You are not supposed to force the skin to peel. Give the inner cells time to develop completely before applying this peeling procedure. The most part of the body that may experience peeling includes sunburned lips, face, hands, legs, back and other parts of the body that is affected.
How to Get Rid of Sunburn
Immediate measures helps to heal the sunburn fast by preventing further symptoms such as pain and redness. There are various measurers you may take such as:
- Getting out of the sun rays by moving to a shade or indoors. The first thing you should do is to move out of the sun immediately you start feeling the sunburn.
- Take a cold shower or bath using tap water, a sunburn continues even after moving indoors. Taking a cold shower helps to cool down your body by removing the excessive heat. A cold shower helps to reduce the severity of the damage.
- Take plenty of water, staying out on intense sunrays causes’ dehydration. Drinking plenty of water for several days after a sunburn is important in keeping the body cool and hydrated.
Immediate treatment
- Take non-steroid anti-inflammatory. They helps to relieve the pain, swellings, redness and headache. Take as soon as you may start experiencing the burn.
- Apply an Aloe Vera moisturizer on the affected parts. An Aloe Vera gel has a soothing effect that makes the skin cool by minimizing the discomfort caused by the sunburn. You simply pluck a leaf and obtain a gel from it by squeezing using your hand.
- Apply on the affected area a lotion containing small percentages of hydrocortisone. It is effective in reducing the inflammations.
- Treat the blisters by cleaning them using anti-bacterial soap. Also avoid popping the blisters. According to
How to Get Rid of Sunburn Rash Overnight
Sunburn rash is an allergic reaction of the skin to ultraviolet rays. The rash may be accompanied with other symptoms such as redness, swelling, pain headache, nausea and chills. The rash disappears after a few days of the outbreak though others may stay for a couple of weeks depending with the severity of the rash.
Stay out of the sun until the rash heals. It prevent the affected areas from being burnt again by the sunrays. Do your activities while indoors or if you have to get outdoors ensure that you have protected your skin. Wear long-sleeved dress, a hat and goggles that does not allow light to pass through.
You are supposed to stop taking some medications that are associated with sunburn rash. Medicines such as birth control pills, antidepressants and antibiotics may increase the risk of getting sunburn rash. Stay out of the sun while taking such medications. Consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking such medicines.
How to Get Rid of Sunburn Blisters on Face and Back
Sunburn blisters are painful and can cause other infections when left without treatment. Blisters occurs on any part of the body that is affected by severe sunburn. Sunburned lips, face and back are the common areas that develops blisters after severe sunburn. Home remedy provides quick way of relieving the pain and the risk of infection.
- Cucumber is also another effective remedy in treating the sunburn blisters on the face and other parts that are affected. It helps to cool the blisters as well as speeding the healing time. Make a cucumber paste and apply to the blisters directly.
- Apply honey on the blisters. Honey is a natural healer, you simply apply it directly on the blisters. It can also be mixed with other ingredients such as vinegar for effective healing.
- Apply a cold compress on the blisters. Sunburn blisters are painful, hot and causes discomfort. Compressing them with a towel soaked in cold water helps to relieve the pain and the discomfort.
- Cover the blisters with a dry bandage. The blisters may pop and ooze out, this makes them to become at risk of getting infected. Covering with dry bandage helps to prevent infections and also makes the blisters to heal faster.
- Aloe Vera has antibiotic properties and is used to treat several skin problems. It also moisturizes the skin and has a soothing effect that relieves the discomfort caused by the blisters. It’s an effective remedy on how to get rid of the blisters. You simply pluck a leaf, extract the gel and apply on the blisters.
- Apply vinegar or apple cider vinegar on the blisters. It helps to heal the blisters faster by absorbing the heat. Use a cotton wool dipped in the vinegar and apply on the blisters gently.
- Yogurt or buttermilk has cooling effects. It helps to relieve the pain that heat that discomfort. According to nlda.
How to Get Rid of Sunburn Bumps
When the sun rash delays to appear after a sunburn, light eruptions that resembles a rash may develop. Such eruptions are known as sunburn bumps. They are caused by overexposure to intense sun rays. They are common during the summer season.
The bump normally goes away after one week without any treatment as long as the sun exposure is avoided. Severe bumps may require dermatological treatments in order to get rid of them faster. You may be given ant-inflammatory medications and other treatments that helps to heal the affected areas.
Before going outdoors on a sunny day, apply sunscreens that has enough sun protection factor of about 50. Carry some with you to reapply after every two hours. You are also supposed to ensure that the sunscreen protects your skin from both UVA and UVB.