Skin that is red, blistered, and feels sore to the touch is a sign of sunburn.sunburn). But make no mistake, this condition can also be a sign of a sun allergy.sun rashes). Actually, what is the difference between a sun allergy and a sunburn?
Sun allergy and sunburn are two very similar conditions. However, the symptoms caused by a sun allergy tend to be more severe than sunburn.
What is a Sun Allergy (Sun Rashes)?
Sun allergy is a term to describe skin conditions that are itchy and red after exposure to the sun. It is not known exactly why the body develops this kind of reaction. However, sun allergy occurs as a reaction by the immune system which mistakenly perceives the component cells of the skin exposed to the sun as foreign.
As a result, the body turns against it and causes an allergic reaction in the form of red rashes and blisters. In addition, people who experience sun allergies will also experience symptoms such as:
- Skin feels itchy and painful
- Blistered skin
- Small bumps appear on the skin
- Hardened skin
Sun allergy symptoms vary, depending on the type of sun allergy that occurs. Some types of sun allergies are polymorphous light eruption (PMLE), actinic prurigo, photoallergic eruption, and solar urticaria.
What is Sunburn (Sunburn)?
Sunburn are burns caused by overexposure to the sun. Excessive sun exposure causes skin to become damaged.
Signs sunburn in each person can also be different, depending on the color or phototype skin and duration of sun exposure. For fair skinned people, 15 minutes of sun exposure can cause sunburn. Meanwhile, people with brown skin can tolerate long hours of sun exposure.
Here is the division of skin color and tolerance limits to sun exposure:
- Pale white skin takes between 15-30 minutes to burn, but in that time the skin will not turn brown.
- White skin takes between 25-40 minutes to burn, and in that time, there will be a slight change in skin color to tan.
- Fairly dark skin takes between 30-50 minutes to burn, and will usually be accompanied by a brownish discoloration.
- Olive skin rarely burns. 40-60 minutes of sun exposure can cause olive skin to tan, but rarely burns.
- Brown skin takes between 60-90 minutes to brown, but is difficult to burn.
- Brown or black skin takes between 90-150 minutes to darken, but won't burn.
Signs sunburn It usually occurs after 2-6 hours of sun exposure and peaks 12-24 hours afterward. Signs that can appear on the skin include:
- Reddish
- Feels warm and sore to the touch
- Itch
- Swollen
- Blister
On the other hand, sunburn can also cause fever, dry mouth, headache, and muscle cramps sunburn heavy one).
How to Prevent Sun Allergies (sun rashes) and Sunburned (Sunburn)
To prevent the appearance of sun allergy symptoms, you can do the following ways:
- Avoid direct sunlight, especially during the day when the sun is at its peak.
- Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Choose one that provides protection against UVA and UVB rays.
- Wear long pants, long sleeves, and a hat if you want to go out during the day.
- Use sunglasses when working in the hot sun.
In general, prevention sunburn the same as preventing sun allergies, namely avoiding direct sun exposure, using sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30, and wearing closed clothes.
If there are signs of sun allergy or skin complaints due to sunburn, check with a doctor to get the right treatment.
