About sunburn

Sunburn is damage to the skin caused by exposure to the sun’s rays. The rays that cause the damage are UV (ultraviolet). UV is a form of radiation. Too much UV light causes the skin to become hot, red and painful.

All people are at risk of sunburn regardless of race or skin colour. Sunburn can occur in as little as 15 minutes on a fine January day in Australia.

You should see your doctor immediately for severe sunburn, or if you are experiencing blistering, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or severe pain.

Whatever the weather

UV radiation is a potential health threat that you can’t see or feel. It can be high, even on cool and overcast days, which means you can't rely on clear skies or high temperatures to determine when you need to protect yourself from the sun. Most weather services in Australia provide a daily UV intensity rating because it's not possible to judge from other weather variables.

It's also possible to get sunburn while swimming or in the snow. This is usually caused by the sunlight reflecting off the snow, ice or water and burning your skin.

You should also check the UV index. When it is three or above, a UV Alert is issued by the Bureau of Meteorology and you should use sun protection. The UV Alert is reported on the weather page of all Australian daily newspapers, on the Bureau of Meteorology website at www.bom.gov.au/uv and on some radio and mobile weather forecasts.

You can also check the UV Alert for cities and towns across Australia with the widget on Cancer Council Australia’s website at www.cancer.org.au.

For smartphone users, Cancer Council Australia’s free SunSmart app is a great way to check the UV Alert when you are out and about. iPhone users can download it at the iTunes App Store, and Android users at Google Play.

Are children more at risk of sunburn?

Exposure to UV radiation in childhood can greatly increase a child's risk of developing skin cancer later in life. Cancer Council Australia encourages parents and carers of children to take an active role in protecting children's skin by remembering to ‘Slip, slop, slap, seek, slide’.

Correct sun protection practices not only reduce a child’s risk of skin and eye damage, but also ensure they obtain enough vitamin D from sunlight in their skin to allow for healthy bone development and maintenance.

Young skin is also delicate and very easily damaged by the sun. Sunscreen formulas that are specifically for children are recommended for their sensitive skin. Cancer Council NSW recommends that children under the age of 12 months are not exposed to direct sunlight when UV levels are 3 and above.

Should I cover up my moles and freckles when I’m in the sun?

If you have lots of moles or freckles you're more likely to develop skin cancer, so you need to take extra care. Protect your body with sunscreen, protective clothing, a hat, sunglasses and shade when you’re outdoors. Keep an eye out for changes to your skin and report these to your doctor. Cancer Council Australia provides advice on how to check your skin on their website at www.cancer.org.au.

If I don’t get any sun, will I become vitamin D deficient?

Sensible sun protection does not put people at risk of vitamin D deficiency. For most people, adequate vitamin D levels are reached through regular daily activity and incidental exposure to the sun.

During summer, the majority of people can maintain adequate vitamin D levels from a few minutes of exposure to sunlight on their face, arms and hands or the equivalent area of skin on either side of the peak UV periods (10am to 3pm) on most days of the week.

In late autumn and winter in some southern parts of Australia, when the UV Index falls below 3, spend time outdoors in the middle of the day with some skin uncovered.

In winter, in northern parts of Australia, people will continue to maintain adequate vitamin D levels going about their day-to-day activities, so it's not necessary to deliberately seek UV radiation exposure.