Texas A&M AgriLife Extension It’s understandable — you were having too much fun splashing around in the pool to even consider stopping the fun to get out and go about the incredibly un-fun task of reapplying sunscreen. Next thing you know, you’re reaching for the aloe vera and frowning at the flaking skin peeling off your arms and shoulders.
Though the sunburn following a day outside may feel like a punishment, it’s actually the body’s attempt to deal with ultraviolet damage and prevent further harm in the long run — though anyone who’s had to deal with tomato-red skin can confirm that it’s by no means a perfect system.
Jean-Philippe Pellois, Ph.D., associate head of research in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, discusses what causes sunburns and why they’re a necessary physiological evil.
