Symptoms of Sunburn

Symptoms of Sunburn

<--Sunburn blister picture

While the UVA rays attack the skin's inner layers, the UVB rays attack the skin's outer layers. The skin of fair complexion people is very sensitive to the sun. A dark skin person can tolerate longer sun exposure before he can have sunburns, whereas the same sun can burn the skin of a fair skin person in 15 minutes.

The symptom of the sunburn can appear from 1 hour to 1 day after exposure to the sun. While some of the symptoms such as red skin, are usually temporary, the skin damage is often permanent. In the case of severe sunburn, blisters are formed. Possible symptoms of sunburn are:

1. Swelling of the skin, especially in the legs
2. Skin peeling
3. Red warm skin
4. Skin peeling
5. Blisters (severe sunburn)
6. Fever, chills, nausea, or rash (severe sunburn)
7. Premature wrinkles, age spots (frequent sunburn)
8. Most of the symptoms of sunburn are similar to sun poisoning symptoms.

Frequent mild sunburns make the skin complexion dark.

How to Prevent Sunburns

It is better to prevent the sunburn rather than to treat it. The most effective way to prevent sunburns is to protect your skin from the direct sun, specially between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm when the ultraviolet rays are strong. More on how to prevent sunburns can be found at skin cancer prevention and sunscreen topics. The sunburn treatment are given below.

Don't for Sunburn

1. Do not burst any blister to get relief. They form a natural protection to help the burned skin to heal faster.
2. Do not apply any creams, butter, benzocaine, lidocaine, petroleum jelly, baby oil or any other greasy lotions or substance for sunburn treatment. They trap the heat inside and prevent healing. Leave the sunburn exposed to the air for faster healing.
3. Do not use lotions with lanolin when you are in the sun.
4. Do not wash burned skin with strong soap.
5. Prevention of sunburn is similar to sun poisoning prevention.