Summer is just around the corner, and that means more people will be spending time outdoors and in the sun, and that sunlight can lead to sunburns.

Dr. Ronald Downs talks about why we get sunburns, and how we can prevent them in this week’s “Health & Beauty BreakDowns.”

Sunburns are caused by ultraviolet, or UV, radiation. That radiation comes in three forms: UVA, UVB, and UVC.

The UVC rays never reach us, but every time we are out in the sun, we are exposed to UVA and UVB rays.

The UVB rays are more damaging and likely to cause skin cancer.

The sun’s radiation stimulates cells in our skin which produce melanin, the pigment that colors skin.

When they are stimulated, they group together, which makes us look darker or gives us a suntan. Those cells can also mutate into skin cancer.

So while that pigment can protect us from radiation damage, it can be harmful if it is overdone.

A sunburn is a sign it is overdone, and you have already damaged your skin. They can be mild with just some redness and irritation, or they can be severe with blistering skin and peeling.

You can get a sunburn in as little as 30 minutes, but it might not turn visibly red for two to six more hours.

Getting a sunburn also increases the chance for more damage to your skin later on.

There are, however, several things you can do to protect yourselves.

You should wear sun-protective clothing outside, like wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts and pants. When possible, you should also limit your sun exposure.

It is also important to be aware when taking medications because some increase your sensitivity to the sun.

You should also always wear sunscreen or sunblock when you are outside. Sunscreens absorb the UV rays, while sunblock reflects them.

Sunscreens all have SPF numbers assigned to them, and there are two theories behind them. One is that it indicates how long you can be in the sun with sunscreen before getting burned, in relation to people not wearing sunscreen. For example, if you would normally burn after 10 minutes in the sun, applying sunscreen with an SPF of 20 means you could stay in the sun for 20 minutes before burning.

The other theory is that SPF indicates the length of time before it needs to be reapplied. So a sunscreen with an SPF of 20 would need to be reapplied every 20 minutes.

Dr. Ronald Downs will be back on 16 Morning News next Friday, April 24. He will be talking about how to treat a sunburn and limit its damage.

If you have any questions about sunburns that you would like Dr. Downs to answer on our show, or if you have ideas for future topics you would like to see on “Health & Beauty BreakDowns,” leave a comment below or email us at 16morningnews@wndu.com