Why do I get sunburned? Why does my skin peel when I get sunburned?
The skin contains black-colored crusts that act like sunglasses, blocking out the sun's rays. When exposed to the sun, many of these crusts are produced and the skin turns black. This is called sunburn.
Originally, sunlight contains both good and bad elements. Some of this light, called ultraviolet light, is bad for the body. To prevent too much ultraviolet light from entering the body, black-colored particles called melanin siphon off the ultraviolet light. These particles increase when exposed to strong sunlight and decrease when the light is weak.
The reason why the skin turns black after swimming in the sea is because the body is exposed to a large amount of ultraviolet rays in the light, and the number of melanin particles on the surface of the body has increased.
Peeling, however, has nothing to do with the darkening of the skin color. Peeling occurs when the heat from the sun hits the body and causes the skin cells to fade. When this happens, the cells in the skin dry up and die, causing the skin to peel. This is the same condition as burns, so it is better for your health not to overcook your body.
