sunburn

Sunburn: Description

A sunburn (dermatitis solaris) is an acute inflammation of the superficial layers of the skin, which is accompanied by a visible reddening of the skin to blistering. The cause is too much UV radiation (especially UV-B radiation) – regardless of whether it comes from the sun or an artificial radiation source.

Radiation damage primarily affects the epidermis, ie the uppermost skin layer. But even in the underlying layer, the dermis, it can lead to inflammation. Repeated cases of sunburn over the years also cause the skin to age faster and can eventually lead to skin cancer.

Skin types and self-protection time

The different skin types are differently prone to sunburn:

People with very light skin, reddish blond hair, blue or green eyes and freckles are among the Skin type I, Unprotected, they can only be in the sun for five to ten minutes before their skin turns red (self-protection time) – signs of sunburn. Brown, the skin is practically not.

Of the Skin type II is characterized by blond to dark blonde hair, a fair complexion and blue or green eyes. The self-protection time is ten to 20 minutes.

Dark blond to brown-haired people with darker skins correspond to that Skin type III, You can stay exposed to the sun for 20 to 30 minutes without the skin becoming red.

People from Skin type IV have dark brown to black hair and brownish tinted skin. Its self-protection time is 30 to 40 minutes.

Children: especially at risk for sunburn

Children are particularly prone to sunburn because their skin is even more sensitive than that of adults. This is especially true for babies and toddlers because they still have a very thin and pigmented skin.

In children, sunburn affects the face, arms and legs most often as these are often exposed to direct sunlight in the summer without protection. In addition, it can be easier for children to get a sunstroke or heat exhaustion.

sun allergy

To distinguish from sunburn is the sun allergy: It form after sun exposure small wheals, itchy spots or blisters on the skin. Acne-like nodules are observed in adolescents.

Sunburn: symptoms

A sunburn is a burning, as it occurs, for example, after skin contact with fire. The severity of sunburn depends on the intensity and duration of sun exposure as well as individual conditions (such as skin type). There are three severity levels:

Grade 1: Slight sunburn; The affected skin areas are reddened and overheated, stretch and are often slightly swollen. The sunburn itches and burns.

Grade 2: In a second degree sunburn bubbles form on the skin. Later, the skin starts to peel.

Grade 3: The third degree sunburn corresponds to a severe burn. The top layers of skin are destroyed and come off. Scars can remain behind.

In case of a large-scale sunburn with blisters, fever and general symptoms can also occur. You must not open the blisters yourself, otherwise an infection may be associated with sunburn.

Lips are very sensitive to too much UV radiation. Within hours, especially on the lower lip redness and swelling occur. In addition, lip sunburn can cause blisters, crusts, scaling and burning pain. Generally, a sunburn on the face is particularly unpleasant.

Sunburn: duration

A sunburn shows the first symptoms about six to eight hours after sun exposure. After 24 to 36 hours, the symptoms reach their peak and then die away after one to two weeks.

Sunburn: causes and risk factors

Sunlight consists of beams of different wavelengths. Responsible for a sunburn is the ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation). Depending on the wavelength, it is divided into:

• UV-A radiation (wavelength: 400 to 315 nanometers = nm)
• UV-B radiation (315 to 280 nm)
• UV-C radiation (280 to 100 nm)

The shorter the wavelength, the more energetic and damaging the radiation.

Sunburn is mainly caused by UV-B radiation. It damages cells in the epidermis, whereupon these release inflammatory mediating messengers (inflammatory mediators such as chemokines, prostaglandins). Within a few hours, these trigger an inflammation in the underlying skin layer (dermis). It comes to a sunburn with the typical symptoms such as redness, swelling, itching and pain.

The shorter wavelength UV-A radiation can penetrate deeper into the skin and eyes than the UV-B radiation. It strengthens the UV-B effect and is also involved in the aging process of the skin.

The UV-C radiation is even more dangerous and would cause even more sunburn than UV-B light. However, it is almost completely filtered out in the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, so it does not reach the earth’s surface.

Sunburn: Influencing factors

Whether one gets a sunburn and how severe it is depends, among other things, on how long the solar radiation affects the skin. The skin type also plays an important role: fair-skinned people get a sunburn faster than people with a darker skin tone, because they have fewer pigments in their skin, blocking the sun’s rays.

Certain regions of the body are also more sensitive than others. Sun-soaked body parts such as arms and hands are therefore less susceptible to sunburn than areas of skin that normally have less sun (such as soles, thighs, buttocks, etc.).

Sunburn & solarium

Tanning in tanning beds is often considered less harmful to health than sunbathing. However, the artificial UV radiation in solariums has the same acute and long-term effects on the body as the natural UV light of the sun (faster skin aging, sunburn, increased skin cancer risk).

By pre-tanning in sunbeds you often want to prepare the skin for the summer sun. However, many sunbeds only emit UV-A radiation: one then turns brown, but the skin’s own UV protection (as a prevention against sunburn) hardly builds up, as it requires sufficient UV-B radiation.

Apart from that, even with tanned skin there is a risk of developing skin cancer.

Sunburn: examinations and diagnosis

Not every sunburn needs to be examined by a doctor. A light sunburn can also be treated independently. In the following cases of sunburn, however, a doctor’s visit is advisable:

• Redness and severe pain
• blistering
• a headache
• Nausea and vomiting

If toddlers or babies get sunburned, you should always go to the pediatrician.

The doctor first records the medical history (anamnesis). He asks, for example, the nature and extent of the complaints, when they occurred and if and for how long the affected skin was exposed unprotected UV radiation. This is followed by a physical examination in which the doctor carefully examines the skin. The diagnosis of sunburn can usually be made on the basis of the anamnesis and the classic symptoms.

Sunburn: treatment

How a sunburn is treated depends mainly on a severity.

In a light sunburn, it is usually sufficient to cool the affected skin. For this you can make a wet / cold envelope, for example, with cold chamomile or green tea, yogurt or quark.

You may also be able to apply soothing lotions with dexpanthenol or marigold or cooling aloe vera lotions or gels. For children, make sure that the preparations are suitable for this age group.

If necessary, a doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid (“cortisone”), which is applied locally – as a cream or lotion.

In case of a sunburn of the 2nd degree a doctor should be consulted. This can punctually puncture the blisters. As a result, the fluid comes out and the bubbles can heal faster. You should not open the bubbles, because they can then easily get infected.

In addition, the doctor may put on a stronger sunburn a bandage with an antiseptic ointment and greasy gauze. Against the pain and inflammation, he can also prescribe tablets, such as the active ingredient diclofenac.

A third degree sunburn is usually treated in the hospital, because there is a high risk of infection here. Often the patient receives infusions with liquid and mineral salts. Also drugs are given, for example, antibiotics for invading bacteria.

Sunburn – that helps

More tips and treatment options can be found in the text Sunburn – that helps.

Sunburn: disease course and prognosis

The prognosis for a sunburn depends on the severity of the burns. A mild sunburn usually heals within a few days and leaves no lasting damage. In more severe cases of sunburn, the healing process takes longer and scars can remain.

Sunburn & skin cancer

A sunburn is often considered to be quite harmless – a fatal miscalculation: even if the superficial layers of skin regenerate after sunburn, traces of damage remain in deeper tissue layers. And the radiation damage of each sunburn, which you get in the course of his life, add up. After all, it can lead to skin cancer, especially if you had strong sunburns as a child.

More episodes of sunburn

UV rays also cause damage to the skin before a sunburn is visible. Regular sun exposure makes the skin coarse-pored and less elastic and promotes the formation of blackheads and wrinkles.

Prevent sunburn

You can prevent sunburn most effectively by not staying in the blazing sun for as long as possible, or only for a short while unprotected. Especially in the noon, when the UV radiation is most intense, you should stay in the shade. Some protection against sunburn is provided by long clothes and a sun hat. The latter is also very important for another reason: too much sunlight on the head can lead to sunstroke with symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

If you Sports In summer you should choose the morning or evening hours when the radiation intensity is lower.

Use one Sunscreens High sun protection factor to protect your skin from sunburn and other radiation damage. But this only works if you apply a sufficiently large amount of cream, at least 30 minutes, before going to the sun. Repeat the creaming if you have sweated heavily, as well as after swimming.

When staying in the water Caution should always be exercised: At one meter depth, 50 percent of the UV-B radiation and 80 percent of the UV-A radiation are measured in comparison to the radiation outside the water. So you can also get a sunburn when swimming and snorkeling (about the back). This is usually noticed too late, because under water hardly any infrared light hits the skin (water absorbs this part of the solar radiation for the most part). However, the infrared would heat the skin and thus warn of an impending sunburn. So to protect yourself from sunburn in the water, you should choose a sunscreen that is not easy to wash off. As an extra protection against sunburn, you should wear a T-shirt while diving or snorkeling.

The intensity of UV radiation increases with the elevation and with increasing near the equator, In the mountains or on the Mediterranean you get more sunburn than in valleys or in Finland.

Not to be underestimated Reflection of solar radiation: Surfaces like water, snow or sand throw back the UV radiation like a mirror, which makes them stronger. So you can drive about the pedal boat or especially easy on the ski slope sunburn pick up.