The untold story of the scorching sun-A wake up call for sun protection.

Abstract

Despite extensive warnings from health authorities regarding the dangers of direct sunlight exposure, most people still turn to sun bathing to get a golden tan. Unfortunately, that pleasant tan appearance is often lost because of over exposure to sunlight, resulting in painful red sunburns. In this paper we are reporting a case with significant sunburn injuries that required hospitalization and treatment in a burn center. Concurrently a pilot study was conducted to assess the knowledge about sun protection among the adult population and the results are discussed. The results obtained from the study revealed the lack of knowledge regarding sun protection and sun seeking behaviour among the responders. Deeper burns are rarely caused by direct sunlight exposure and are underreported in literature. Despite extensive health education and warnings, there are significant numbers of sunburn injuries reported annually. On most occasions, these are superficial and are in the form of erythema. Nonetheless, the public is unaware of the impending risks of developing deep sunburn injuries that can occur especially during protracted holiday exposures. Therefore, it is crucial to escalate public awareness and to implement preventive measures to reduce the short and long-term risks of sun exposure.