What Happens to Your Skin When You Get Sunburned?

A summer day. Sun. Sea. A feeling of freedom.
And then in the evening – redness, tightness, burning. A classic scenario.
But what is actually happening to our skin in those moments?
Why does it burn? What exactly got damaged? And how dangerous is it?

Let's dive a little deeper.

UV Radiation – The Invisible Culprit

When we talk about "burning," we're actually talking about damage caused by UVB rays.

UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin (dermis) and are responsible for skin aging, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity.
UVB rays hit the surface layer of skin (epidermis) and they are the ones responsible for sunburns.

When we spend too much time in the sun without protection, UVB rays damage the DNA of skin cells – and the body starts to react.

Phase 1 – Oxidative Stress and Cell Damage

The sun bombards the skin. The body sees this as an attack.
Inside the cells, free radicals form – molecules that literally destroy everything in their path:
cell membranes, proteins, DNA...

Skin cells – especially keratinocytes – register the damage and send an SOS.

Phase 2 – Inflammatory Response: Redness, Heat, Pain

After a few hours (usually 2–6), the familiar symptoms appear:

Skin becomes red (erythema)
It feels tight
It burns
Sometimes there's mild fever or fatigue

This is the body's inflammatory response.
Blood vessels dilate so that immune cells can reach the damage site and start repairs.
But – the side effect of this is redness, heat, and discomfort.

Phase 3 – Cell Death and Peeling

If cells are severely damaged – the body simply kills and discards them.

That's why skin peels a few days later.
It's not dead skin from the surface – these are cells that decided from within that they no longer want to live because their DNA is too damaged.

Peeling is actually a self-defense mechanism – the body clears the terrain to prevent something worse (e.g., mutation → skin cancer).

Phase 4 – Regeneration and Consequences

The body then activates repair enzymes and growth factors, stimulating the creation of new cells, collagen, elastin, and lipids.
This process can take days, sometimes even weeks.

If the damage was mild, everything can be restored.
But if such situations repeat:

Skin ages prematurely
It loses elasticity
Hyperpigmentation develops
And the risk of skin cancer increases

Deeper Consequences We Don't See Immediately

Although sunburns seem to pass in a few days, damage can accumulate:

DNA mutations can be "stored" in cells that will divide later – and we don't want such cells to divide
Skin can become thinner and more sensitive
Melanocytes get damaged – cells responsible for pigment – which can lead to irregular pigmentation

Fun Fact: Why Does Our Skin Hurt More When We Touch It?

When we get sunburned, nerve endings in the skin become hypersensitive.
The body sends more pain signals even to mild stimuli – that's why touch becomes uncomfortable.
This is part of the defense mechanism – the brain wants us to not touch the damaged area so it can regenerate more easily.