Sunburn — How to Prevent It, and How to Treat It

We are at the very height of the summer season; the lovers of sea and sun grow steadily in number, and are exposed every day to harms... and dangers, from sunburn — so what should we know about it??... Here, dear reader, is this precise scientific study, analyzing how the skin burns, and the ways of treating it...

The "ultraviolet" rays, it appears, have a great effect on man — great in their benefit and in their harm.

Scientists have found that exposure to those rays for a short period gives the body a valuable benefit, while excessive exposure leads to the opposite, producing burns on the body exactly like the burns of fire; such burns are usually painful, and may be dangerous.

What, then, is the reason for the effect of ultraviolet rays on the human body?

The reason, in the opinion of the scientists, goes back to the skin and its composition; for human skin is made up

A subject that concerns everyone who goes out in the sun, or in the fields, or on the banks of rivers and the sea beaches — indeed everyone who is exposed to the sun in this blazing season.

Few are those who have not experienced the burning of the sun, and what befalls the skin and the head as a result of it — grinding pain, and troublesome discomfort from excessive exposure to the sun; and most of us have heard of sunstroke, which can sometimes be fatal. What, then, is that harmful element in the light of the sun?

Scientists have analyzed the sun's ray and found it composed of threads differing in length and in their effect on the earth generally, and on plant and animal in particular; and among these gleaming threads are those known as "Ultra Violet Rays," or

of different layers, which are always in a state of growth and development. The outer layer is hard and thick in the places exposed to friction with outside bodies, such as the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet; and the outer layer of the skin is supposed to protect the other layers. Nature has furnished it with pigment materials that help to filter the light and protect the skin from the ultraviolet rays.

And since in fair people the proportion of pigment in the skin is lower than in dark people, fair skin is more liable than others to be burned by the sun's rays. Fortunately, repeated exposure to the sun for short periods helps to generate an increase of pigment in the skin; and this pigment, whose first purpose is to filter the radiations and turn back the harmful ones, gives the skin at the same time that attractive tanned color.

If the skin is exposed to the sun more than it should be, burns occur. The first symptoms of sunburn are reddening and irritation of the skin, so that a person sometimes feels as though his skin had grown too tight for him and were squeezing and pressing upon him. He may not feel these symptoms because of the cool, refreshing breeze, and may not feel the pain until the burn has grown severe — until the skin cracks and "blisters" appear on it, and then the condition reaches the height of pain.

The risk of burning by the sun's rays increases in high places, which puts those who climb the high mountains in constant danger; for the ultraviolet rays reach those high places before being filtered in the atmosphere. So do not be deceived by the fresh, gentle breeze on the mountaintop: you may come home from your outing with burns on your skin exceeding those the same length of time would produce on the plain. We said on the plain, and we did not say on the shore of the sea or the river; for the sun's ray that

is reflected off the water, and rebounds to fall upon the skin, affects it profoundly. And if we say that the sun's rays burn most of all at noon, this does not mean that they are harmless in their consequences at other times; the difference is one of degree only. Nor is the danger of the sun confined to clear days; it extends to cloudy weather.

After science had analyzed the sun's rays and the human skin, and come to understand the relation between them, it issued its recommendations for preventing burns, or treating them if they occur. The experts say that it has become possible to avoid harm from the sun if a person keeps to a few simple instructions: such as exposing himself gradually and slowly, beginning with periods of no more than fifteen minutes each for a few days; then he can lengthen the period gradually every day. Those who wish to stay long in the sun are advised to use certain ointments prescribed for protection against harmful radiations; and what the commercial concerns state about all those ointments is presumed to be true — otherwise the makers would be liable to government penalty.

Oiling the skin alone does not lead to the desired result. Some salves and creams contain the substance lanolin, but their benefit is limited to softening the skin, and to making up for some of the oils it loses; they do not prevent burns from occurring.

And here is some of the advice the experts give for treating burns: If you suffer pain from burns, get an ointment containing in its composition a numbing agent for the skin, such as the compound Nupercaine, and rub it evenly over the skin. If the burn has caused "blisters," hasten to consult the doctor. Beware of using "tannic" acid, or any old-fashioned prescription, for it may cause poisoning. And protecting the skin from the burns caused by exposure to the sun is no more than winning half the battle, when a person wishes to remain exposed to the sun for many hours; for it must not be forgotten that the eyes may without doubt be harmed by it. So let the lovers of the sun be on guard against its fury — or the pricking of the needles will overtake them!...