Sunburn

Sunburn is red, painful, damaged skin from being out in the sun for too long. When you get a sunburn, ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun (or a tanning bed!) burn your skin. You don’t have to spend the day at the beach or pool to get a sunburn. Some people get sunburns doing everyday things without using sunscreen, like taking a lunch break outside, gardening or walking the dog.

Multiple sunburns can lead to premature skin aging and skin cancer. You can minimize your risk of sunburn by taking steps to protect your skin every day. It’s important to pay attention to your sun exposure when you spend any amount of time outdoors.

What are the types of sunburn?

Healthcare providers group sunburns by the severity of skin damage. The two most common types of sunburn are:

• First-degree sunburn: Damage to your skin’s outer layer. This usually heals on its own in a few days to a week.
• Second-degree sunburn: Damage to the middle section of your skin (dermis). You’ll develop blisters on the sunburned skin. Your skin may take weeks to heal and you may need medical treatment.

A third-degree sunburn is very rare and requires emergency treatment. It severely damages all layers of your skin, including the fat layer beneath your skin. It can also destroy nerve endings. Most third-degree burns result from a chemical burn or a fire and not from sun exposure.

How common is sunburn?

Sunburns are very common, especially in young people. Between 50% and 75% of children younger than 18 have sunburns each year. More than half of adults ages 18 to 29 reported having one or more sunburns in 2015.