Sunburn
After about nine months in school, I think it is safe to say that we are all ready for summer vacation. Days spent at baseball games, the beach, and the park sound ideal. We are ready to embrace the sun and receive our daily doses of vitamin D. It’s all fun and games until you get burned. There are many things that factor into a sunburn and many consequences that may follow, but with the right protection it can all be avoided.
Sunburn is a common thing we see all summer on ourselves and friends. It is the reddening of skin which can also be accompanied by inflammation, blistering, and/or peeling depending on the severity of the burn. Sunburn is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet rays given off by the sun. Ultraviolet rays, damage cells in our body known as melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, a pigment which gives our skin its color. If your skin is darker, then your body produces more melanin; if it’s lighter than it produces less. The more melanin your body produces the more resistant it is to ultraviolet rays. The damage of these cells by ultraviolet rays causes rapid blood flow to the affected area to begin the healing process. This blood flow is what causes the affected skin to appear red and feel warm to the touch. Not only does sunburn cause swelling, redness, and other symptoms but it also involves peeling of the skin. Peeling is a part of the body’s healing process. Your body will remove any permanently damaged cells by simply shedding them off.
You can blame your parents if you are prone to getting sunburn because your chances are mostly based on your genetics. If you’re someone with light skin, hair and eyes your chances are higher for getting sunburn than someone with dark hair, dark eyes, and a natural tan. For a light skinned person sunburn can occur within 15 minutes of exposure to the sun. Age also plays a role in the risk of accumulating sunburn. Someone over the age of 60 or under the age of 6 is more likely to get sunburn due to the
Sunburn is a common thing we see all summer on ourselves and friends. It is the reddening of skin which can also be accompanied by inflammation, blistering, and/or peeling depending on the severity of the burn. Sunburn is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet rays given off by the sun. Ultraviolet rays, damage cells in our body known as melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, a pigment which gives our skin its color. If your skin is darker, then your body produces more melanin; if it’s lighter than it produces less. The more melanin your body produces the more resistant it is to ultraviolet rays. The damage of these cells by ultraviolet rays causes rapid blood flow to the affected area to begin the healing process. This blood flow is what causes the affected skin to appear red and feel warm to the touch. Not only does sunburn cause swelling, redness, and other symptoms but it also involves peeling of the skin. Peeling is a part of the body’s healing process. Your body will remove any permanently damaged cells by simply shedding them off.
You can blame your parents if you are prone to getting sunburn because your chances are mostly based on your genetics. If you’re someone with light skin, hair and eyes your chances are higher for getting sunburn than someone with dark hair, dark eyes, and a natural tan. For a light skinned person sunburn can occur within 15 minutes of exposure to the sun. Age also plays a role in the risk of accumulating sunburn. Someone over the age of 60 or under the age of 6 is more likely to get sunburn due to the