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
- Choose Your Cover: Sun Exposure Questions and Answers(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/chooseyourcover/qanda.htm
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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
- Sun Damage(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/diseaseGroups/sunDamage.htm
- Tanning(Center for Devices and Radiological Health) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/tanning/
- 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
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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
- 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
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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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Results of "Rays: Your Grade" Survey(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/media/press/survey_results.html
- 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
- Glossary of Terms(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/glossary.html
- American Academy of Dermatology - http://www.aad.org/
- American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
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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/
- 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
- 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