What is sunburn
Sunburn or rashes from the sun is no new wonder for the soft tender skin. You already know that sunburn is caused due to the exposure of skin under the sun. The harmful ultraviolet light emitted from the sun causes harm to your skin.
The skin gets affected or burned when you don’t protect it from clothes and sunscreens. It’s an inflammatory reaction that happens due to ultraviolet radiation that damages the skin outer layer. The skin has a pigment called melanin that protects your unprotected sun exposed skin. People those are having less melanin are more likely to have sun exposure which can also cause skin cells to become red, swollen and painful which is known as sunburn.
Staying under the sun for a reasonable time causes no issues on your skin, but those who stay for a long duration must be careful as the heat from the sun can destroy your upper layer of the skin. Whether it is dark toned or light toned skin. Do not take any risk and be cautious about your skin when you are under the sun. Exposure to sun for a long time can cause skin cancer as the sun causes cellular damage. When the skin is not being protected, it’s going to burn faster
Sunburn experience is quite painful and itchy as redness, swelling and soreness may appear on your skin. You may not feel like touching your skin as it is already irritated by harmful rays of the sun that end up with peeling and flakes on the sunburn area. If the burn is severe, you may also develop blisters on your skin
The ultraviolet rays damage the skin cell due to which the immune system reacts by increasing the blood flow to the affected area which causes the inflamed skin known as sunburn. You can get a sunburn even on any cool or cloudy days, and through surfaces such as through sand and water can reflect UV rays and burn skin too.
Different types of sunburn
1. First degree burn
It is not very harmful. It is also called as superficial skin burn it may cause skin to redden, dry and painful when you touch. It is the most common type of sunburn and it generally heals within three to six days.
2. Second degree burn
It’s a mild to moderate type of second degree burn that damages two layers of your skin that are epidermis and dermis. This type of sunburn hurts you even on touching the skin. Blisters may appear on the skin that holds fluid. Usually it gets healed within 7 to 20 days leaving a partial scar of second degree Sunburn.
3. Third degree burn
It is a deep partial thickness burn with much severity. It causes blisters and rashes on the affected part and takes longer time to heal, the burn leaves a scar it may take around 20 to 25 days to heal.
4. Fourth degree burn
After experiencing this burn you immediately need to rush to the hospital as this type of burn is a thick burn that harms the area deeply, the burn goes through the layer of skin and deeper tissues involving muscle and bone. You may not sense anything in this area as your nerve endings are completely destroyed. The treatment of fourth degree burns may require surgery and medication.
Sunburn damages your skin varying from mild redness to excruciating is one that causes blisters it really reaches the deep thickness of the skin if you get a skin burn it is necessary to treat it properly and if it is serious you must go to hospital to attain proper medication to speed up the skin recovery.
Causes of Sunburn
The prime cause of sunburn is exposure to sun or staying under the sun for a long period, sunburn is caused by the exposure to UV rays and UVB rays emitted from the sun and they both can cause sunburn.
Several reasons can cause the problem of sunburn:
- You might be spending your time under the sun for long hours.
- Sometimes you get affected by sunburn very easily though you may not be spending much time under the sun. The reason is certain medications you might be consuming.
- Another interesting cause for sunburn is your place of work, the place where you stay or the place where you spend your time that may cause sunburn such as intense UV rays, depleting the ozone layer, altitude and being close to the equator.
- Skin is the most sensitive part of the body , different people have different type of skin and pigmentation which is a great source of sunburn
Symptoms of sunburn
There are several symptoms that shows up when you have sunburn you may feel below mentioned symptoms:
- Redness
- Skin feels hot or tight
- Pain or tenderness
- Blistering
- Swelling
- Peeling skin
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Headache
- Nausea
The symptoms may differ when the burn is severe they are listed below:
- Extremely red skin
- Blistering and swelling over a larger area
- Wet-looking skin
- Pain
- White discoloration within the burn
You may also experience symptoms of heat illness, including:
- Exhaustion
- Fast breathing
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea
- Shivers
Staying in sun for long hours may cause extremely severe burns such as
- Leathery-looking burn
- Numb skin
- White or dull skin color
How long does sunburn last?
This depends on the exposure to the sun, the damage to the skin appears when you are under the direct harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, that causes red tingling rashes and pain.
Generally three to four hours is needed for a sunburn to develop. The intensity of sunburn elaborates its longevity. How long sunburn lasts depends on how mild, moderate and severe it is. Before moving out in the sun apply sunscreen over your body parts that are under the sun exposure . take necessary measures that are necessary while moving out in the sun.
People do not perceive immediately that they have got sunburn. It takes time to acquire that, symptoms usually embark on around 4 hours after the skin’s exposure to the sun.
Sunburn happens from time to time and it leaves its mark that can be very uncomfortable and How long the sunburn lasts will depend on how severe the sunburn is:
Mild sunburn: this will occur with mild redness and slight pain. It would take three to five days to get healed, your skin may peel from the affected area as your skin regenerates.
Moderate sunburn: one must be careful while out in the sun or while going out in the sun. Don’t forget to carry an umbrella, sunglasses, and sunscreen application as moderate sunburn is more painful. You may feel redness, hot itch, and swelling on the affected area, it would take approximately a week to heal completely
Severe sunburn: when it is severe, then it’s really severe you are not going to get rid of it so soon; you may require good medical assistance to cure your skin burn you may get blisters, soreness, redness, and severe itch on your skin to get yourself healed up you may have to stay in the hospital for a week or more.
Sunburn keeps no partiality zone. It’s equal for all skin types. It can happen to anyone whether it’s a dark complexion skin or it is light toned. However it may be risky for some people and more likely to get sunburn. Below are listed some risk factors these include:
- having very pale skin
- have had skin cancer earlier
- having freckles and burn before tanning
- skin problems relating to a medical condition, such as psoriasis
- taking medication that makes skin more sensitive to sun
- a family history of skin cancer
- having a number of moles, irregular moles or large moles.
- being in a hot country where the sun is more intense
- Children’s skin is soft and sensitive and needs greater protection from the sun. infants under the age of 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight.
- Spending a lot of time outdoors
- Have had an organ transplant
- Consuming medicine that makes your skin more sensitive to light.
How long does sunburn last on a face
Direct exposure of skin to the sun may harm the flawless and radiant appearance of your face.
You may take every trouble to keep your face glowing and beautiful but if the sunburn catches you, everything goes in vain. Any type of bone where the mild, moderate or severe does not go away immediately. It takes a few hours to several days to heal your skin. A mild sunburn may last approximately for 3 to 4 days on your face whereas a moderate sunburn. We take 5 to 7 days with the peeling of the skin in case of severe burns which is very harmful and dangerous for your skin. You may need to take medical assistance and it may take a time of 2 weeks or more to heal properly.
The skin of your face gets damaged from the harmful UV rays of the sun. The free radical may damage your skin. You must follow measures to protect your face from direct sunlight. Whenever you go out, cover your face with a cotton cloth that covers your mouth, cheeks, forehead, and head only your eyes are visible, for which you can use Sunglasses. Prevention is better than cure, so whenever you plan to go out under the sun, carry a water bottle and follow the safety measures.
Drink plenty of water, moisturize your skin, wear loose, breathable clothing and do not rub ice on the skin. You can apply hydrocortisone on your skin to reduce the swelling and itchiness. You can follow the below-mentioned tips to get rid of the discomfort on your face from sunburn.
You must take frequent cool baths or showers to get rid of the pain. cool baths will soothe your skin and reduces inflammation do not completely dry up your skin apply a thin layer of rider so that the water also retains in and helps with dryness
Do not use any product on the skin that may cause irritation or allergic reaction. You may apply a moisturizer that contains aloe vera as it soothes your sunburn skin.
It is necessary that you drink plenty of water to escape dehydration. Sunburn may cause loss of water balance in the body
If your skin gets a second-degree sunburn, you may get skin blisters, and do not break them. Allow them to heal to protect themselves from the infection.
Your skin demands extra care when it is sunburned. You must wear clothing that covers your skin when you are outdoors. Apply sunscreen when you are out in the sun. Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals. Wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors.
How long does sunburn lasts on forehead
When the forehead skin is exposed to too much of the U.V light the skin gets burned and your skin tone changes. The sunburn appears on your forehead after a few hours of sun exposure, it may take 24 hours to determine forehead sunburn. You must wear a hat while being out in the direct light of the sun. Stay hydrated. Drink at least eight glasses of water to help moisturize your skin. Take a shower in cold water to get rid of sunburn discomfort. The mild burn may last for 3 to 4 days, whereas a moderate one takes 5 days. The severe sunburn lasts for a week or two.
How long does sunburn last on hands
Saving yourself from the sunburn hit is the day’s biggest and most difficult task. As wherever you go under the sun, you are definitely going to be hit by sunburn, especially on your hands. The sun’s harmful rays cannot be stopped, but you can prevent yourself from being caught by sunburn. Follow measures to protect yourself from sunburn. Usually a mild sunburn on the hands. It may last for 3 to 5 days but the harmful rays emitted from the sun cause skin problems like swelling, allergies, soreness and burn itch. How long does sunburn last on hand? Depends on the severity of the burn. Usually, a few days or 7 to 8 days is a normal time, but if the burn is severe, usually it takes more than 15 days to heal up. You can apply aloe vera gel to calm down your skin. Keep your skin hydrated and apply moisturizer or lotion to keep the skin soft and smooth. Do not use soap or scrub it gently. It may irritate the skin.
How long does sunburn last on lips
They are the most delicate part of the body with a very tender and soft skin. The sunburn on the lips may last for 3 to 5 days but if the case is severe it may last upto 10 days
What Factors May Contribute To How Long A Sunburn Lasts?
There are multiple factors that ascertain the varied risk of sunburns, such as age and skin pigmentation. Moreover, it also contributes to the severity of the sunburn and how long it lasts.
Some factors that contribute to the duration of sunburn are
- Age
- Complexion
- Physical characteristics
- Photosensitizing medication.
- Pre-existing conditions
- High altitudes
- Tanning beds
How long does the redness from sunburn last on your skin
The natural cause of sunburn is harmful rays of the sun that may cause redness or rashes on the skin. The redness may not develop immediately but it would take time to develop. The redness from sunburn is not very harmful until it is very mild but you may feel severe burn injuries if you experience severe burns by being under the sun for a long duration and it would also take longer time to fade away.
It is not safe to stay under the sun for a long period of time. Your skin may appear red after a few hours of being under the sun. The redness from sunburn may last for several hours or for 24 hours, depending on the severity of the burn. Usually the mild sunburn fades away soon after 24 hours. However, more severe burns will take longer to heal, so the redness may stick around a bit longer if you’ve suffered a second-degree sunburn instead of a first-degree sunburn.
How long does sunburn hurt?
Sunburns don’t hurt immediately but it will develop sooner and can begin causing discomfort at around six hours after sun exposure. You may begin to feel hot flashes from the burn. The pain of a first-degree sunburn will last for about 48 hours before declining.
Second-degree sunburn is something that is much more painful and the pain might last longer. So it is recommended to apply aloe lotion or gel, place a cool cloth on the area to ease the pain and itch
Third-degree burns need special care and medical attention. You should take extra precautions to avoid further injury to the affected area and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
How Long Does Swelling From Sunburn Last?
When you get a sunburn, a red patch appears on the skin with mild swelling and this last for 2 to 3 days; swelling begins to declining after the 24 hours of sunburn , if you feel painful and uncomfortable, you can apply the aloe vera on the affected part as it has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that calm down the burning sensation and helps in reducing the swelling, you must avoid going out in the sun if you have constant pain and swelling.
How long does peeling from sunburn last
Sunburns are very annoying and it might take a week or more time to heal, sunburns generally happen to be very mild that may take 3 to 5 days to reduce and make you free from burning sensations and tingling.
It is difficult to determine How long the peeling lasts from sunburn when it is very severe. Usually, the healing may take more than a week, maybe three to four weeks that may end up with dry peels and dry patches on the skin, and they can be itchy and painful.
When the sunburn heals, the occurrence of peeling is natural which is a sign that your skin has progressed with healing. Peeling is very natural with first and second-degree burns, its a slow process that appears only when the skin has healed up.
Flaking and peeling allow the upper layers of dead skin cells to fall off and develop a new rejuvenated layer of skin underneath. While the skin is healing, avoid sun exposure as the new sensitive skin needs time to repair and heal.
How to take care of blister and sunburn peeling
Do not use any cosmetic products in the area of having sunburn.
You must not scrub the peeling area with any skin product, be gentle with your skin specially while suffering from sunburn
Treatment of sunburn
You must try natural home remedies for the treatments for sunburn:
1. Cool water
It is the best treatment for the sunburn and to cool down the inflammation on the affected area. You may take a cold shower or you can hop outside for a swim in a cold water pond. It’s an effective way to immediately help sunburn. Do not apply ice on the sun burn as it may cause more damage to your skin.
2. Oatmeal
It’s the best remedy for treating sunburn as they hold a lot of moisture to your skin and eases the discomfort of dry flaky skin.
3. Baking soda
It helps in treating sunburn itch and inflammation when mixed with bath water.
4. Apple cider vinegar
You can treat sunburn with apple cider vinegar. You must soak a cotton ball with it and place it over the sunburn for 10 minutes. You will find relief from pain, inflammation, and itching.
5. Witch hazel
It contains anti-inflammatory properties that reduce discomfort. Use a cotton ball to apply witch hazel over the affected area; you will find relief in a few minutes.
How long does sunburn last estimation is different as it depends on the longevity of being in the sun a lovely day outside can lure you but be careful while planning a day out in the sun carry water with you don’t forget a hat do not stay under sun for long hours stay hydrated and apply lotion as prevention is better than cure. Enjoy your sunny day out with precautions that are easy to go with.
