Department of Dermatology (Skin Care)
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What is Sun Burns ?
A sunburn is skin that is hot, inflamed, and painful to the touch. With prolonged sun exposure, they often appear within hours.
Simple self-care measures such as taking pain relievers and cooling the skin can help reduce sunburn. However, it may take several days for the tan to fade.
It is important for everyone to prevent sunburn all year round by wearing sunscreen or adopting other skin protection habits. This is especially important when you are outdoors, even on cool or cloudy days.
- Inflamed skin that looks pink or red on fair skin and less visible on tanned or dark skin
- Feels warm or hot
- Pain, tenderness or itching
- Fluid-filled blisters
- Severe sunburn, headache, fever, nausea, tiredness
- Eye pain and grittiness
- May burn exposed areas of the body, such as earlobes, scalp and lips. Covered areas, such as loose fabric clothing that lets ultraviolet (UV) rays through, can also cause burns.
- Eyes, which are highly sensitive to the sun's ultraviolet rays, can also be burned.
Symptoms of sunburn often appear within hours of sun exposure.
Within a few days, your body will begin to heal itself by shedding the top layer of damaged skin. A severe sunburn can take several days to heal. Persistent skin color changes usually fade over time.
- Sunburns are caused by excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Ultraviolet radiation can come from the sun or from artificial sources such as sun lamps and tanning beds. UVA is a wavelength of light that can penetrate deep into the skin and damage it over time. UVB is the wavelength of light that penetrates the surface of the skin and causes sunburn.
- Ultraviolet rays damage skin cells. The immune system responds by increasing blood flow to the affected area, resulting in inflammation of the skin (erythema) known as sunburn.
- You may get sunburned on cool or cloudy days. Surfaces such as snow, sand, and water can also reflect UV rays and cause skin burns.
- Use these methods to prevent sunburn on cool, cloudy, or hazy days. Solar radiation on cloudy days is reduced by about 20%. Be especially careful near water, snow, concrete, and sand that reflect the sun's rays. Also, the higher the altitude, the stronger the UV rays.
- Stay out of the sun between 10am and 4pm. The sun is at its strongest during this time, so plan your outdoor activities outside of this time. If you can't do that, limit your time in the sun. Seek shade if possible.
- Avoid tanning and solariums. A base tan does not reduce the risk of sunburn. If you use self-tanning products and get a sunburn, apply sunscreen before going out.
- Frequent and heavy use of sunscreen.
Sunburns often go away on their own within a few days to a week. If you suffer from severe blisters or dehydration, your doctor may give you fluids.
If you have a third degree sunburn, you may need a skin graft. Surgeons remove dead skin and graft healthy skin from other parts of the body. These burns take weeks or longer to heal and have serious complications.
Yes, Sun Burns treatment is available in Bareilly at Gangasheel Hospital by the the team of expert Dermatologists in the city.