Sunburn

Sunburn Written by: Wahida Sabir

Sunburn is skin damage from too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Sunburn is a radiation burn to your skin.

 Sunlight helps produce vitamin D, which is a vital substance for the body's organs. But if sunlight is not used in the right amount and at the right time, it may cause skin problems such as sunburn.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people and a physician about this problem.

Hakimullah, a resident of Paktia province says, “My skin has red spots and it gets worse when I walk under the sun.”

A woman from Sarobi district of Kabul province says, “My skin is very thin and sensitive to sunlight and if I walk in the sunlight, I get red spots on my face and there are more spots under my eyes and I suffer more from this problem.”

Doctor Rahimullah Khpalwak, a dermatologist at one of the private hospitals in Kabul city talks about sunburn, “Human skin has four types of color. if fair and light skins are exposed to sunlight, they might be swollen and irritate and if it repeats so many times, it might change to rashes and if not treated, they might change to skin cancer.”

 Dr. Rahimullah Khpalwak, a dermatologist at one of the private hospitals in Kabul city talks about sunburn, “Human skin has four types of colors. If fair and light skin is exposed to sunlight, it may become swollen and irritated, and if repeated several times, it may turn into a pimple, and if left untreated, it may turn into skin cancer.”

What do some people think about the causes of sunburn?

A girl from Kabul city says, “Facial skin is thinner than the skin on the rest of our body, if it exposes to the sunlight, it burns soon.”

Omid says, “As I was walking in the sunlight, and I did not care for facial skin, red spots appeared on my skin. When I went to a dermatologist, he advised me to put on a hat when I walk in the sun or use an umbrella but I did not use any of them and my face red spot got worsen.”

Doctor Khpalwak says, “Those who go long distances and do not use hats, umbrellas, and glasses, face the problem of sunburn. The sun's rays shine directly on the skin and destroy the melanin cells and burn the skin. Ultra-wave rays come in different colors, but types (A) and (B) directly cause sunburn. And those, whose skin is wheatish and black, as there is more melanin in their skin, get infected sunburn later.”

How do some people treat sunburn?

Hakimullah says, "I took homeopathy, but it did not help me.”

 A girl says, “I have not been treated yet, I use cold water and aloe Vera.”

 A woman says, “My skin is very thin. If the sun burns it, small pimples appear on it and I wash my face with cold water.”

Dr. Khpalwak says about the treatment of sunburn, “If they know that the sun has burned their skin, they should wash it with cold water and use moisturizing cream and sunblock, and if the sunburn is severe, they should visit a dermatologist for essential treatment.”