Does sunburn get worse overnight?

There’s nothing like spending the day outside and soaking up some sunshine! However, if you forgot to apply sunscreen or stayed out in the sun too long, then you might be dealing with a nasty case of sunburn. Of course, this leads to an important question: does sunburn get worse overnight? Let’s take a closer look at what happens when your skin gets burned by those pesky UV rays.

The Science Behind Sunburn

To understand whether or not sunburn can worsen overnight, we first need to discuss what happens when your skin is exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time. When your body absorbs UV radiation from the sun, it triggers melanin production in your skin. Melanin is what gives your skin its color and also offers some protection against further damage from the sun.

However, if you’re exposed to too much UV radiation (i.e., more than your body can handle), then things start to go awry. Your skin cells begin releasing inflammatory chemicals as part of an immune response (ouch!), which causes redness and swelling in affected areas. Additionally, blood vessels near the surface of your skin dilate (nice word right there) in order to increase blood flow and help heal damaged tissue.

Unfortunately for us humans, this process tends to be pretty slow compared to how quickly our bodies synthesize vitamin D (cough cough). That means that while our bodies are hard at work trying their bests (with no break)to repair any damage caused by ultraviolet light exposure during daylight hours – they may continue doing so throughout nighttime—-that means…say it with me…Yes! Oh noooooooo!

Can Sunburn Get Worse Overnight?

If you’ve ever experienced a bad case of sunburn before (and who hasn’t amirite?), then you know that symptoms tend not appear until several hours after exposure. In fact, the full effects of sunburn may not make themselves known for up to 24 hours in some cases (wowzers!).

So does that mean sunburn can get worse overnight? Well, it’s hard to say definitively. While your body is busy repairing damage from UV radiation while you sleep (puny skin genes), it’s also important to remember that everyone’s capacity for producing melanin is different. This means that two people who receive equal amounts of UV radiation will experience varying degrees of sunburn – which begs another question: Why do we even bother turning into lobsters under too much light then?

It might be difficult to tell if your burnt area has worsened come nighttime lasting into morning; but one thing holds true: if you wake up feeling more miserable than when you went to bed and your burn symptoms seem particularly severe — yes—there will certainly be a reason why.

Best Ways To Treat Sunburn

In any case, there are steps you can take immediately after getting burned by the sun in order to reduce discomfort and help promote healing:

Step One: Cool Down

If possible, seek shade or better yet head indoors where an air-conditioner offers relief; this helps avoid prolonged excess heat stimulation causing serum leakage beneath epidermis resulting in blistering & harmful blood vessel dilation/reduction (med speak dude!) . Take a cool shower and apply cold compresses or ice packs onto affected areas periodically throughout the day until inflammation subsides fully;

Step Two: Keep Skin Moisturized

Dryness exacerbates already prominent irritations/itchiness therefore optimizing moisturizers intended for compromised skin should become part-&-parcel of coping with these affections coming along with over-exposure (take notes babes). Avoiding products containing oils & perfumes as they both causeirritation;

### Step Three: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

When your skin gets burnt by the sun, it forgets how to regulate temperature properly and often leads to dehydration. You might not feel thirsty initially, but making sure you’re getting enough fluids throughout the day ( especially water!) can help tremendously in avoiding unbearable pain & bloating that comes along with this discomfiture;

Step Four: Pain Relievers

If over-the-counter medications containing anti-inflammatory or topical analgesic agents fail to offer relief from burning/soreness or outrightly worsen discomfort, prescription options can be considered especially for those already experiencing severe irritability/polysedative tendencies.

Coda

Remember babes/lads/guys-whichever appeals; staying hydrated (duh) , avoiding prolonged periods of sun exposure during peak daylight hours and wearing protective clothing such as hats is a better way of reducing risk factors for developing sunburn (this ain’t rocket science). And if worst comes to worst–let’s just hope our Vitamin D deficiency has been adequately addressed—-that means sunscreen—LATHER UP!

Random Posts