Sun Exposure (Print Version)

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Sun Exposure

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sunexposure.html

Also called: Also called: Sunburn

Ultraviolet (UV) rays are an invisible form of radiation. They can penetrate 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 4 p.m.)
Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher
Wear protective clothing
Wear wraparound sunglasses that provide 100 percent 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.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

Choose Your Cover: Sun Exposure Questions and Answers(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/chooseyourcover/qanda.htm
Health Effects of Overexposure to the Sun(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvandhealth.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/es/efectos.html
What's Your Sun-Safety IQ?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_7_1x_Take_the_Sun_Safety_Quiz.asp

Overviews

Sun Damage(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/diseaseGroups/sunDamage.htm
Tanning(Center for Devices and Radiological Health) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/tanning/

Latest News

No Tan is a Safe Tan(09/18/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69454.html
Estrogen Cream No Match for Sun-Damaged Skin(09/16/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69352.html
Sun Damage Impairs Skin's Response to Estrogen(09/15/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69266.html
Protect Your Skin during the Summer Months(07/28/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SkinCare/
More News on Sun Exposure http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_s.html#sunexposure

Treatment

Sunburn(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/sheets/sunburn_sheet.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/folleto/sunburn_sheet_esp.html

Prevention/Screening

Actinic Keratoses: Prevention(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.skincarephysicians.com/actinickeratosesnet/prevention.html
Facts about Sunscreens(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/media/background/factsheets/fact_sunscreen.htm
FDA Aims to Upgrade Sunscreen Labeling(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/sunscreen082307.html
How to Check for Actinic Keratoses (AKs) during Skin Self-Exam(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.skincarephysicians.com/actinickeratosesnet/check_for_AKs.html
Safer Sunning in Seven Steps(Food and Drug Administration) - Links to PDF - http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/sunsafty.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/ssunsfty.pdf
Sun Safety: Save Your Skin!(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/sun072407.html
Tips for Safe Fun in the Sun (Eye Protection)(American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/summer.cfm

Specific Conditions

Sun Allergy (Photosensitivity)(InteliHealth) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/10710.html
Sunburn(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/sunburn/DS00964/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
Tanning Salons(Health Physics Society) - Links to PDF - http://hps.org/documents/Tanning_Salons_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Related Issues

Actinic Cheilitis(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/actinicCheilitis.htm
Actinic Keratosis(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/actinicKeratosisSolarKeratosis.htm
Are There Beneficial Effects of UV Radiation?(World Health Organization) - http://www.who.int/uv/faq/uvhealtfac/en/index1.html
Cutaneous Horn(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/cutaneousHorn.htm
Cutis Rhomboidalis Nuchae(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/cutisRhomboidalisNuchae.htm
Don't Seek the Sun: Top Reasons to Get Vitamin D from Your Diet(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/media/background/factsheets/fact_vitamind.htm
Guide to the UV (Ultraviolet) Index(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - Links to PDF - http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/uviguide.pdf
Indoor Tanning: What You May Not Know(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/indoor_tanning.html
Is UV Radiation Dangerous to Our Eyes?(American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ634TGZLC&sub_cat=0
Poikiloderma of Civatte(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/poikilodermaofCivatte.htm
Solar Lentigo - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/solarLentigo.htm
Sunless Tanners and Bronzers(Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-tan4.html
Today's UV (Ultraviolet) Index(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html
Truth about Indoor Tanning(American Osteopathic Association) - http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=you_indoortan
What Are Actinic Keratoses?(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.skincarephysicians.com/actinickeratosesnet/whatare.html

Pictures & Photographs

Sunburn(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/sunburn.htm
UV Photography Reveals Sun Damage(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.skincarephysicians.com/agingskinnet/uv_photography.html

Health Check Tools

What's Your Sun-Safety IQ?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_7_1x_Take_the_Sun_Safety_Quiz.asp

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Sunburn(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Sunburn%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Ultraviolet Rays(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Ultraviolet+Rays%22

Research

Results of "Rays: Your Grade" Survey(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/media/press/survey_results.html

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Sunsreens: an update. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18772844&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Sunscreens containing the broad-spectrum UVA absorber, Mexoryl SX, prevent the... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18717957&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Patient information. What's the best sun protection to use? - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18717258&tool=MedlinePlus
Sun Exposure -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(ultraviolet+rays/ae[majr]+OR+sunburn[majr]+OR+sunscreening+agents/tu[majr]+NOT+neoplasms[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

Glossary of Terms(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/glossary.html

Organizations

American Academy of Dermatology - http://www.aad.org/
American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
Environmental Protection Agency - http://www.epa.gov/
National Cancer Institute - http://www.cancer.gov/

Children

Play It Safe in the Sun: A Guide for Parents(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/chooseyourcover/guide.htm
Sun Safety(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/sun_safety.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/sun_safety_esp.html
SunWise Kids(Environmental Protection Agency) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/kids.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/es/ninos/medidas.html

Teenagers

Tanning(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/tanning.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/seguridad/tanning_esp.html
Teen Tanning Hazards(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/205_tan.html

Women

Are Tanning Beds Safe During Pregnancy? Is It Safe to Sunbathe Outside?(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/24043_24538.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nacersano.org/centro/10485_10512.asp

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Heat Illness - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heatillness.html
Melanoma - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/melanoma.html
Skin Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skincancer.html
Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Sun Exposure is the National Cancer Institute - http://www.nci.nih.gov/

Sun Exposure - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/sunexposure.html

Date last updated: October 02 2008

Topic last reviewed: July 16 2008