Causes of sunburn

Sunburn is skin damage caused by too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is literally a radiation burn: UV injures skin cells, and the redness, heat, and pain are your body's inflammatory response to that injury.

What causes it

• UV radiation from the sun - the overwhelming cause. UVB rays are the main burning rays; UVA ages and damages deeper skin.
• Peak sun hours: in India, UV is harshest roughly between 10 AM and 4 PM, and fiercer in summer, at high altitude, and near the equator.
• Reflection doubles exposure: water, sand, snow, and even light-colored concrete bounce UV back onto the skin.
• Clouds do not block UV: up to 80% of UV passes through light cloud, so cloudy-day burns are common.
• Artificial UV: tanning beds and sunlamps cause the same burn and the same long-term damage.

Who burns faster

• Fair or light skin, though darker Indian skin absolutely burns too - it just takes longer and the damage is less visible
• Children, whose skin is thinner and more sensitive
• People on certain medicines: some antibiotics (doxycycline, ciprofloxacin), acne treatments (isotretinoin), diuretics, and some diabetes medicines make skin sun-sensitive
• Those using exfoliating skincare like retinoids or AHA/BHA acids

Why it matters beyond one red day

Every sunburn is DNA damage to skin cells. Repeated burns - especially blistering ones in childhood - raise the lifetime risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, and speed up skin aging and pigmentation problems.

Sunburn vs heatstroke

Sunburn is skin damage. Heatstroke is the body overheating and is a medical emergency - they often come together after long sun exposure.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive): Classical thought links sun exposure damage to aggravated pitta, which fits the burning, redness, and inflammation. This is an interpretive framework; UV radiation is the established cause.

Remember: Sunburn is UV radiation injury, worst between 10 AM and 4 PM and sneaky through clouds and reflections. It happens to all skin tones, and every burn adds to lifetime skin damage.