Related Health Topics
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on Sun Exposure is theNational Cancer Institute
Other Languages
Find health information in languages other than English on Sun Exposure
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
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Who Should Use Sunscreen?
Everyone should use sunscreen. Exposure to the sun or ultraviolet (UV) light puts you at risk for skin cancer, regardless of your age, gender, or race. Learn the basics of how to apply and store your sunscreen.
Summary
Ultraviolet (UV) rays are an invisible form of radiation. They can pass through your skin and damage your skin cells. Sunburns are a sign of skin damage. Suntans aren't healthy, either. They appear after the sun's rays have already killed some cells and damaged others. UV rays can cause skin damage during any season or at any temperature. They can also cause eye problems, wrinkles, skin spots, and skin cancer.
To protect yourself
- Stay out of the sun when it is strongest (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.)
- Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher
- Wear protective clothing
- Wear wraparound sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV ray protection
- Avoid sunlamps and tanning beds
Check your skin regularly for changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. Such changes are a sign of skin cancer.
Food and Drug Administration
Start Here
- Health Effects of UV Radiation (Environmental Protection Agency)Also in Spanish
- Sun and Skin: The Dark Side of Sun Exposure
(National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish - Sun Damage (Logical Images)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- How to Decode Sunscreen Lingo (American Academy of Dermatology)
- Protecting Yourself from Sun Exposure (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - PDFAlso in Spanish
- Sun Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
- Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun (Food and Drug Administration)
Treatments and Therapies
- Treating Sunburn (American Academy of Dermatology)
- When Might Sunburn Require Medical Attention?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Actinic Cheilitis (Logical Images)
- Actinic Keratosis (Solar Keratosis) (Logical Images)
- Best Sunscreen: Understand Sunscreen Options(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
- Cutaneous Horn (Logical Images)
- Essential Outdoor Sun Safety Tips for Winter (Skin Cancer Foundation)
- Poikiloderma of Civatte (Logical Images)
- Solar Lentigo (Logical Images)
- Sunscreens FAQs (American Academy of Dermatology)
- Vitamin D (National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Sun Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
- Sun, UV Radiation and Your Eyes (American Academy of Ophthalmology)Also in Spanish
Images
- Sunburn (Logical Images)
- UV Photography Shows Hidden Sun Damage (American Academy of Dermatology)
Health Check Tools
- "Suntelligence" Survey (American Academy of Dermatology)
Videos and Tutorials
- Sun's effect on skin
(Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- Is Sunscreen Safe? (American Academy of Dermatology)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Keratosis, Actinic (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Sunburn (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Sunscreening Agents (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Tomato Phytonutrients Balance UV Response: Results from a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled...
- Article: Recent advances in layered double hydroxides applied to photoprotection.
- Article: Oxidative Damages to Eye Stem Cells, in Response to, Bright and...
- Sun Exposure -- see more articles
Find an Expert
Children
- Effects of Early Sun Exposure (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
- How Can I Protect My Children from the Sun? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish
- Should You Put Sunscreen on Infants? Not Usually (Food and Drug Administration)Also in Spanish
- Sunburn: Treatment and Prevention (American Academy of Pediatrics)Also in Spanish
- What Causes a Sunburn and Suntan? (American Academy of Dermatology)
Teenagers
- Health Effects of Too Much Sun (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
Patient Handouts
- Actinic keratosis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Polymorphic light eruption (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Sunburn (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
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