By Lim Ju-won
Sunburn develops when skin is burned by ultraviolet radiation, most often after being in the sun for too long. Common symptoms of sunburn include reddened skin that is hot to the touch and pain.
Redness develops between three and five hours after being out in the sun, and peaks approximately 12 to 24 hours after sun exposure and fades over 72 hours. More severe sunburns cause skin swelling and blistering.
Although most sunburn is not severe, long-time exposure to the sun or frequent sunburn is associated with eye problems, wrinkling, moles, skin-aging and skin cancer
You should stay out of the sun until your skin redness and pain resolve while healing and take precautions to prevent future burns. For mild sunburns, there are some ways to reduce pain, including cold compresses, aloe lotions, and local anesthetic lotions or sprays.
You can take pain-killers such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Mild sunburns heal completely within a few weeks. If you have severe sunburn, ask your healthcare provider to decide whether you can treat it at home or not.
There are a number of effective ways to prevent sunburn, including staying out of the sun during peak hours, protective clothing, seeking shade and sunscreen. While these ways are important for everyone, they are particularly important for children and fair-skinned people
It is important to prepare for sun exposure, especially if you plan to be out in the sun for an extended period of time or during the middle of the day, when the sun's rays are strongest (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during daylight saving time).
Even on cloudy days, it is important to protect your skin because UV radiation can pass through the clouds and cause sunburn. In addition, UV rays can be reflected off of surfaces like sand, snow, cement and water.
The best way to reduce sun exposure includes avoiding the sun, seeking shade, wear clothing and use sunscreen.
Wear protective clothing such as a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants. A hat made of tightly-woven material can provide shade for the face, ears, and back of the neck.
Sunglasses can provide UV ray protection for your eyes. Clothing made from tightly-woven dark fabrics tends to provide greater protection than light-colored fabrics.
Areas that are shaded receive less UV radiation, and can reduce your chances of developing sunburn. Trees, an umbrella, porch or tent can help to provide shade. You still need to use sunscreen while in the shade, because some UV radiation reaches you even there.
There are a various types of sunscreens available on the market including gels, lotions, and sprays. Sunscreen protects the skin by absorbing or blocking UV radiation. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a number that refers to the sunscreen product’s ability to block UVB radiation. This number does not show blockage of UVA radiation.
A sunscreen product with a SPF of 15 will protect your skin 15 times longer from UVB than if you did not have sunscreen applied. The exact amount of time will vary from person to person, the altitude, and proximity to the equator. SPF 15 will block 95 percent of the UVB wavelengths. However, SPF 30 will provide only 3 percent more protection.
What Sunscreen is best? Recommend the following:
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater
• Use a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation.
• Use a higher SPF if you are fair-skinned or if you will be exposed to intense sunlight for a long time.
• Use a waterproof and water or sweat-resistant product.
The author is an Assistant Professor at Seoul National University Hospital International Healthcare Center (SNUH-IHC).