We all know what it feels like to get sunburn but what do we know about how we get sunburned? And how does sunscreen work to protect us against harmful rays?
I wanted to look into this because I’m so insanely burned from my vacation to Ft Lauderdale! I will be putting up a blog post next week about the entire trip!! It will be a longer one that includes my packing list and what we did each day!!!
It’s so interesting to read about because based on the research getting “tan” is a form of defense our bodies use to protect us from ultraviolet rays! But we get burned when our bodies go into overdrive and a toxic reaction occurs turning our skin red.
When we get tan, the melanin in our skin absorbs the ultraviolet rays and dissipates it as heat. The melanocytes in our skin act as a natural sunscreen. Humans all have about the same number of melanocytes but the color can be lighter or darker. The darker the melanin the more natural sunscreen ability is possible.
Ultraviolet rays are invisible to the naked eye and have higher energy than light visible to the human eye. When an ultraviolet photon hits our skin, the DNA in our skin cells get damaged. The nucleotide bonds (between adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine) get broken and the shape of the DNA molecule goes out of whack. This causes the cell to “die” otherwise known as apoptosis.
After we burn our bodies react by sending blood to the area causing inflammation which we know as painful. With a second degree burn, blisters filled with liquid occur to protect the damaged area. When our skin realizes it’s been mutated it will force itself off aka peel. If the mutated skin does not fall off in a timely manner, there is a potential for UV rays to continue to damage it and lead to skin cancer.
It is so important to wear sunscreen and to liberally apply it before going out into the sun. When buying a sunscreen make sure to look for titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These chemicals reflect UV radiation rather than absorb it. You can also wear hats to physically protect yourself from the sun. Rash guards are also an option to avoid getting sunburn. They even come in pretty cute styles!!
My sunburn was pretty bad but I’ve been very good about putting on lotion and aloe. My nose is starting to peel but that’s okay!!
Remember the sun is not always our friend so stay safe!!!
Xoxo, Z
