Sunburn is a common occurrence in many parts of the world – often against our best intentions – and we can soon find ourselves out in the sun for too long and then feeling the effects later on in the day.
However, there have never been so many resources to keep us informed and up to date about sunburn, and the best ways to treat it afterwards. But what specifically causes sunburn in the first place, what makes our skin peel afterwards, and what exactly can we do about it?
What Actually Causes Sunburn?
Generally speaking, sunburn is caused by overexposure to the sunlight – specifically ultraviolet radiation – which when projected onto our skin for extended periods of time can cause reactions.
The most common reactions are the overproduction of melanin, which is what causes our skin to darken (or ‘tan’), and burning – which is an inflammatory reaction caused by the production of histamines.
How Bad Is Most Sunburn?
While it obviously varies depending on the person, their skin color, and their particular disposition, most people only suffer from minor sunburn – generally within the first or second degree of the burn scale.
Most sunburn falls under the classification of first degree burns – usually resulting in discomfort, soreness, itchiness, and some minor discoloration.
Second degree burns occur when someone has moderate to severe sunburn, and this can result in inflammation, swelling of the affected areas, and deeper tissue damage.
Why Do We Peel After Being Sunburned?
Once we have been sunburned, and the skin has had a chance to settle down a little bit over the following days, it is a common occurrence for the skin to then peel.
This is caused by a perfectly natural healing process, wherein the regeneration of new skin cells beneath the sun damaged outer layer causes the burned, dried up skin to flake and peel off. But what is actually happening, and why does it occur?
DNA Damage
When our bodies are hit with UV radiation, the rays are so strong that they actually penetrate the skin and cause direct damage to the DNA within our cells.
These damaged cells are then put under stress, and caused to either mutate – in the form of skin cancers and other problems – or die off completely.
When the skin starts to peel, this is our body’s natural response – shedding these dead and dying skin cells to make way for functioning new ones.
How Fast Do We Peel?
Generally speaking, peeling usually begins after a period of two days – at least with minor sunburn – but the length of time this will take to stop depends entirely on the individual and their body’s healing response.
What Does Skin Peeling Look Like?
Depending on the severity of the sunburn, peeling will usually begin as scattered, dry patches of skin – which might also be accompanied by small blisters in some cases.
Most skin peeling will be mild – as are most forms of sunburn – however, in worse cases, blisters can occur, and this represents deeper damage to the skin that will take longer to dry out and heal.
Blisters themselves are caused by formations of pus beneath the skin, something caused by the damage the sun has caused.
Should You Peel Your Sunburn?
As with any form of scab or skin tag, it can be tempting to pick and peel your dried sunburn once the healing process has begun, but this is generally not recommended.
The skin is likely still tender, and the new skin underneath is delicate and sensitive, which means that you are likely to experience pain if you decide to try and help the process along.
Peeling at skin that is not ready to come off yet can also hinder the healing process, as well as potentially cause damage to the healthy skin surrounding the sunburn area.
How To Prevent Sunburns From Peeling?
Of course, there are certain things you can do to care for your skin, even if you have already been caught out on a particularly hot day.
Cool Your Skin
This is the most important thing, and is important if the inflammation is to die down and stop hurting.
There are many ways you can cool down a sunburned portion of skin, including using cold compresses, wrapped bags of ice, or towels wet with cold water. All of these can be effective methods to make your skin feel better.
Keep Skin Moist
The peeling process is a side effect of your skin being burned and dried out, and as such, ensuring your skin’s moisture level is important if you want to avoid peeling.
For this you can use any number of water based moisturizing products – especially those containing glycerin, which is known for its water-drawing properties. This will help to keep your skin moist, and will fight off the peeling process as much as is possible for your specific sunburn.
Encourage Healing
You also need to encourage the healing process as soon as possible. For this you want something like aloe vera – a cactus-derived product that has antibacterial properties, and which can stimulate the healing process more quickly.
How To Treat Peeling Once It Has Started?
Of course, depending on the sensitivity of your skin, the sunburned area might have started to peel more quickly. If this is the case, then there are some things you can do to soothe the skin and encourage the healing process.
Colloidal oatmeal baths are a good way to relieve stinging, itching, and the soreness associated with sunburned skin. Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties, and as such will encourage the area to heal more quickly too.
Similarly, you could also try soy moisturizers – all of which are rich in amino acids – and these are good for encouraging the regeneration of protein in the skin, and the production of hyaluronan, a natural lubricant produced by our bodies to heal skin.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, everything you need to know about sunburned skin, and why it peels when it starts to heal. It’s true that, even despite our best efforts, sunburn is still incredibly common, and can often happen when we least expect it.
Luckily though, there have never been so many resources – giving us all the information and treatment we need to keep our skin protected, healed, and feeling great. So if you want to know more about sunburn, then be sure to check out this handy guide. Something tells me you won’t be disappointed!
