10 Weird Ways the Sun Affects Your Body (Besides Sunburn)

Red, blotchy skin

Years of unprotected sun exposure can lead to permanently red, blotchy skin, says Jason Reichenberg, MD, associate professor at the University of Texas-Austin’s Dell Medical School and chief of dermatology at Seton Healthcare Family in Austin. As you age, the sun thins your skin and loosens the structure around your blood vessels, causing them to dilate and generate red and brown areas, primarily across the cheeks and neck. “All of the building blocks of the skin melt, almost like an egg,” Dr. Reichenberg says. When this “melting” process happens, the collagen in your skin spreads out, allowing the blood vessels to appear through the skin. And unfortunately, this condition is irreversible once it begins. “You can’t un-cook an egg,” Dr. Reichenberg says. Make sure you never do these 10 things after getting a sunburn.