Sunburn

A sunburn is a radiation burn to the skin produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, commonly from the sun's rays. A similar burn can be produced by overexposure to other sources of UV, such as tanning lamps and welding arcs. Exposure of the skin to lesser amounts of UV will often produce a suntan.

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Sunburns usually develop as a result of over-exposure to sun or, less commonly, occupational exposure.

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Sunburn occurs when exposure to UV light exceeds the protective capacity of an individual's melanin. Melanin content varies greatly, but in general darker-skinned people have more melanin than lighter-skinned ones. This leads to a reduced incidence of sunburn amongst dark-skinned individuals.

Radiation burn: A radiation burn is damage to the skin or other biological tissue caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. The most common type of radiation burn is a sun burn caused by UV light. High exposure to x rays during diagnostic medical imaging or radiotherapy have also resulted in radiation burns. As ...

Skin: :For alternate meanigns see skin (disambiguation)...

Ultraviolet: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength shorter than that of the visible region, but longer than that of soft X-rays. It can be subdivided into near UV (380–200 nm wavelength) and extreme or vacuum UV (200–10 nm)....