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How does sunburn work?

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Quick answer

Sunburn works as your skin's damage response to too much ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun. UV rays harm the DNA in your skin cells, so the body rushes blood to the area and triggers inflammation — the redness, heat, and pain of a burn.

Step by step

  1. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the Sun penetrate the skin.
  2. They damage the DNA inside skin cells.
  3. The body responds with inflammation — redness, warmth, and pain.
  4. Damaged cells may peel away as the skin repairs itself.
  5. Repeated sunburn raises the long-term risk of skin cancer.

People also ask

What actually causes sunburn?
Ultraviolet light damages the DNA in your skin cells, triggering an inflammatory response that brings the redness, heat, and soreness.
Why does sunburned skin peel?
The body sheds badly damaged cells to replace them with healthy ones, which shows up as peeling a few days later.
Does sunburn increase cancer risk?
Yes — repeated UV damage to skin-cell DNA accumulates over time, raising the risk of skin cancers including melanoma.