This sunburn “causes your skin cells to mutate,” warns a dermatologist.
The sun is here and with it one of the most important activities of the holidays: sunbathing and other tanning activities! But here’s the thing, we can never repeat it enough: just one exposure without sufficient sun protection is enough to suffer from a nasty sunburn that triggers redness of the skin, accompanied by a sensation of heat and pain.
According to American dermatologist Dr. Heather Kornmehl, a certain type of sunburn is particularly dangerous and significantly increases the risk of skin cancer. In a video published on her TikTok account, she explains that this sunburn “mutates your skin cells.” Only 5 sunburns of this type “increase the risk of developing melanoma by 80%”she warns. This aggressive cancer affects the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, called “melanocytes.” In her video, Dr. Kornmehl illustrates her point with a photo of a sunburn on which a large red patch is visible, as well as many small blisters.
Sunburn with blisters results from a second-degree burn. A study American study published in 2016 already suggested that severe sunburn, particularly on the trunk, was an important indicator of the risk of developing melanoma. The researchers considered “severe” sunburns to be:
- Intense redness of the skin
- Pain/tenderness
- Blisters
- Peeling of the skin after several days
- Fever and chills
- Headache, nausea and fatigue
If you suffer from sunburn with blisters during your summer exposure, it is recommended to avoid the sun and to cool the burned area with a damp cloth or a spray.
Be careful, it is better not to burst the blisters, they should resolve naturally as explained in a previous article. When they finally break on their own, they must be disinfected using a local antiseptic to prevent infection.