Understanding Sunburned Skin: The Science Behind the Pain Sunburn is an experience most people have had at some point in their lives.
It's not just a temporary annoyance; sunburn has real physical and emotional effects on human skin. When you get burned, your skin becomes inflamed and starts to damage itself as part of the healing process.
What Happens When You Get a Sunburn? UV radiation from the sun causes sunburn by damaging DNA within skin cells. This damage triggers an inflammatory response that leads to redness, swelling, and pain.