Sunburn

With a high dose of the UV light in a short period of time (i.e. several hours), the melanocytes (skin cells that produce the pigment melanin) cease to produce the necessary quantity of melanin which causes the damage to the skin called "sunburn". Mild sunburn is expressed by a reddening and a mild burning of the skin, sunburn of a more intensity is expressed by a strong erythema (abnormal reddening of the skin), severe burning and inflammation. The disappearance of the visible symptoms of sunburn within several days does not mean that the skin damage was completely liquidated. The process of regeneration of the skin after the sunburn is much more prolonged. Data of different studies says that strong sunburns influence the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid - molecular carrier of genetic information) of the skin cells, which sometimes leads to skin cancer etc.

Sunburn and Psoriasis

Sunburn may lead to the development of psoriasis on the damaged skin even in people with the "winter type psoriasis". This is explained by the Koebner phenomena - the appearance of new psoriatic lesions on the sights of the skin trauma.

Therefore people with psoriasis who treat their psoriasis by staying in the sun should be very careful and not to overexpose their skin to the sunlight in order to avoid an appearance of psoriasis on the places of sunburns.

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