Dermatologists Washington DC

The Sun and Skin

By Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, Director, DermDOX Center for Dermatology

We are a society that worships the sun. Bronzed skin has become a symbol of leisure and good health. Soaking up rays is one of our favorite pastimes. Very few experiences in life are more relaxing than lying on a glistening beach listening to the waves crash upon the shore as the bright sunlight beats down on us. And come nightfall, a glance in the mirror reveals the payoff of a day’s “work,” the suntan.

WARNING:   Dermatologists Have Determined that Excessive Sun Exposure Is Hazardous to Your Health!

Many of us express deep concern regarding the hazards of nuclear power, yet think nothing of basking all day in solar radiation. We have already learned that the sun’s ultraviolet rays damage the skin’s elastic tissues, leading to unsightly skin lines and wrinkles. The end result is premature aging and, for some, skin cancer. Each year, over one million cases of skin cancer are detected in the United States, where one person dies from skin cancer every hour. Ultraviolet light is responsible for the majority of skin cancers.

Besides the long-term effects attributed to chronic sun exposure, the damage wrought by sunlight may become apparent much sooner. Acute overexposure results in the painful, all-too-familiar sunburn.

SUNBURN

Virtually every light-skinned person has experienced sunburn at one time or another. Sunburn is a discomforting condition most frequently encountered at the beginning of summer before a protective tan has been acquired. Redheads and blonds burn readily; dark-skinned persons may sunburn, but only after prolonged exposure to strong sunlight. A recent study of fifteen thousand adults found that one-third had experienced a sunburn within the past year.

The extent of sunburn may range from a mild, painless redness to a fiery red, exquisitely tender, blistering eruption. A mild burn begins some six to twelve hours from the beginning of exposure, reaches a maximum redness within twenty-four hours, and gradually declines over the next few days, leaving in its wake tanned skin that may take some two weeks to reach its peak.

Severe sunburn also begins six to twelve hours following sun exposure, but within one to two days marked skin changes occur. The skin becomes extremely painful to even the slightest sensation. Chills, fever, and nausea are commonplace. Fluid-filled blisters appear, and layers of the skin begin to slough off. Uneven pigmentation and even scarring may result.

Mild sunburn reactions may be treated with cool water compresses. Emollient creams can soothe the skin and relieve dryness. Over-the-counter burn preparations contain local anesthetics that may help alleviate discomfort but will not enhance healing. Aspirin controls the pain and may even lessen the inflammation.

Severe sunburn should be treated by a physician. Cortisone pills and antibiotic cre...