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Summary
Ultraviolet (UV) rays are an invisible form of radiation. They can pass through your skin and damage your skin cells. Sunburns are a sign of skin damage. Suntans aren't healthy, either. They appear after the sun's rays have already killed some cells and damaged others. UV rays can cause skin damage during any season or at any temperature. They can also cause eye problems, wrinkles, skin spots, and skin cancer.
To protect yourself :
- Stay out of the sun when it is strongest (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.)
- Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher
- Wear protective clothing
- Wear wraparound sunglasses that provide 100% UV ray protection
- Avoid sunlamps and tanning beds
Check your skin regularly for changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. Such changes are a sign of skin cancer.
Food and Drug Administration
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Protecting Yourself from Sun Exposure (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Sun Safety Facts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun (Food and Drug Administration)
-
Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun: From Sunscreen to Sunglasses
(Food and Drug Administration)
Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- How to Treat Sunburn (American Academy of Dermatology)
Related Issues
- Actinic Cheilitis (VisualDX)
- Actinic Keratosis (Solar Keratosis) (VisualDX)
- Cutaneous Horn (VisualDX)
- Poikiloderma of Civatte (VisualDX)
-
Vitamin D
(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Sun Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Sun, UV Light, and Your Eyes (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
Images
- Sunburn (VisualDX)
Videos and Tutorials
-
Sun's effect on skin
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Keratosis, Actinic
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Sunscreening Agents
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Comparison of Near Infrared Spectra of Three Lichen Substances and Several...
- Article: Assessing Sun Protection Policies in Texas School Districts Located in Counties...
- Article: Sunscreen and Photoprotection Habits for Patients With Porphyria and Non-Porphyric Photosensitivity...
- Sun Exposure -- see more articles
Find an Expert
Children
- Should You Put Sunscreen on Infants? Not Usually (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Actinic keratosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Polymorphic light eruption (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Sunburn (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.