With the first days of the annual vacation and stay at the sea, many people begin to expose themselves to the sun, which often ends with burns. However, in addition to being painful, causing redness and discomfort, sunburns are a great danger to the health of the skin and leave consequences even after the burns themselves have passed.
Sunburns accelerate the aging of the skin, and are considered the leading cause of several types of skin cancer, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (basal cell carcinoma), and squamous cell carcinoma. However, in the rest of the article, read how to prevent burns and how to treat them if they do happen.
What are sunburns?
Sunburns are inflammatory reactions to damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the outermost layers of the skin.
At the heart of it all lies melanin, the pigment that gives your skin its color and protects it from the sun's rays. Melanin works by darkening your unprotected skin exposed to the sun. The amount of melanin you produce is determined by genetics, which is why some people get sunburned during exposure, while others tan.
Both are signs of cellular damage to the skin. In people with less melanin, prolonged unprotected sun exposure can cause skin cells to become red, swollen and painful, known as sunburn. Sunburns can range from mild to severe, characterized by the appearance of blisters.
After experiencing sunburn, the skin often begins to peel. This is a sign that your body is trying to get rid of damaged cells. Never peel off parts of the skin yourself, but let it naturally peel and shed itself.
What you need to know about burns:
Some people are more prone to sunburn: Skin type determines your sensitivity; fair-skinned people are at the highest risk, but anyone can get sunburned.
Even without a sunburn, sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. Even if you are tanned or your skin type is dark and your skin does not redden, the sun can cause cellular damage that can lead to cancer.
UV index is a factor: The sun varies in intensity according to season, time of day and geographical location. A high UV index means that unprotected skin will burn faster or more intensely. Be careful, especially when the sun is at its strongest. But even when the index is low, the risk still exists, so take care of protection throughout the year.
You can get burned on a cloudy day: Be careful even when it's cloudy. Up to 80 percent of UV rays can penetrate through clouds.
Light pink skin is still bad: No matter how mild, any sunburn is a sign of skin damage that can result in premature aging and skin cancer.
Repeated sunburns increase the risk. For fair-skinned people, especially those with a genetic predisposition, sunburn plays an important role in the development of melanoma. Research shows that skin-damaging UV rays can also alter tumor-suppressor genes, giving damaged cells less chance of recovery before they turn into cancer.
People who work or play sports outdoors have a higher risk of frequent burns that can result in skin cancer.
Just one excessive exposure to the sun and sunburn doubles the chances of developing melanoma later in life.
Skin damage accumulates over time, starting with the first burns. The more times you burn, the higher your risk of skin cancer. Subsequent UV damage can occur even when there is no obvious burn.
Five or more burns more than double the risk of developing potentially fatal melanoma.
What to do when you get a sunburn?
If you do happen to get sunburned, we advise you to take the following 5 steps to speed up recovery and reduce the harmful effects of sunburn on skin cells:
Cool the burn site quickly
If you are near the sea or a cold pool, enter the water to cool the burn. But don't stay too long, if you are still exposed to the sun. Then cover the burn site and stay out of the sun. Continue cooling with cold packs and ice (if you use ice, don't put it directly on the skin, but over a cloth).
Apply moisturizer to damp skin
Immediately after the first step, apply a rich moisturizing cream (not an oil-based one) to the burn site. Keep the burned area constantly moist for the next few days.
Reduce inflammatory processes
In case of severe burns, take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or aspirin, which will reduce discomfort and inflammation. You can ask for these medicines according to the instructions on the package, as long as you feel discomfort due to the burn.
You may also benefit from aloe vera, which will reduce the burning sensation. Cold compresses are also welcome. When choosing clothes, choose light and airy clothes that will allow the skin to breathe and will not cause irritation, and at the same time will protect from the sun.
Replace lost fluid
A burn draws fluid from the body and brings it to the surface of the burn, in order to naturally cool the wound. However, at the same time, it leads the body to a state of dehydration, so it is mandatory to take in enough fluids after burns. Give preference to plain water and isotonic drinks that will help to replace lost electrolytes, but also help in skin recovery.
If necessary, see a doctor
If you have blisters over a large area of your body, if you have a fever, high temperature and dizziness, see a doctor. Do not scratch or scratch the wounds as you can cause infection and make the situation worse.
Conclusion
After each time you get a sunburn, the skin will heal, but the effects will remain. Repeated sunburns create a significant risk for skin aging and the development of various forms of skin cancer, so be sure to think about it every time you decide to bask in the sun at noon.
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