Most people think of it as a summertime nuisance. But even one burn can leave lasting damage that increases your risk of cancer as you age
By Joyce Sampson, AARP Published July 01, 2026
Key takeaways
- Even one bad sunburn can damage DNA and raise cancer risk later in life.
- Sun damage accumulates over time, and effects may take 15 to 20 years to appear.
- Sun protection still matters after 50, since the skin keeps accumulating UV damage.
Sunshine has real benefits. It helps your body make vitamin D, can boost your mood and even supports better sleep. But the same ultraviolet (UV) rays that provide these perks can also hurt your health if you get too much.
Sunburns can speed skin aging and increase the risk of skin cancer. Research suggests that even a few bad sunburns during childhood and adolescence can significantly increase a person’s risk of developing melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, later in life. And trips to the tanning salon in your younger adult years? That can raise melanoma risk by 75 percent.
Even the mildest sunburn can cause damage on the cellular level, says Dr. Maral Kibarian Skelsey, director of the Dermatologic Surgery Center of Washington. And you may not realize it until years later. In fact, says Dr. Elizabeth Hale, a Mohs surgeon and senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, it can take about 15 to 20 years for the damage to show up, sometimes in the form of cancer.
The average age for a melanoma diagnosis is 66, according to the American Cancer Society; by age 70, at least 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer.
Here’s what to know about protecting your skin as you age — and what to watch for after 50 if you spent time in the sun when you were younger.
How the sun can damage your skin
Ever wonder what happens in the body when you get a sunburn? Dr. Susan C. Taylor, a leader in treating skin of color and founder of the Skin of Color Society, explains that UV light (from the sun or a tanning bed) penetrates directly into skin cells and damages the DNA, or genetic material, inside them. When the damage is too great, those cells die, which is why burned skin later peels — that’s the damaged cells flaking off.
People with darker skin tones have more natural defense against UV damage than those with lighter skin because melanin — the pigment that gives skin its color — helps absorb and disperse some ultraviolet radiation before it can damage DNA. But that added defense is not immunity, experts stress, and it doesn’t replace the need for sunscreen and other sun-protection measures.
Once the skin is injured, the body quickly shifts into repair mode, explains Dr. Adewole Adamson, a board-certified dermatologist and researcher at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Your body reacts by saying, Oh my goodness, we need to repair this,” Adamson says. Blood vessels widen, immune cells rush in and you feel heat, swelling and tenderness.
A severe sunburn can do more than leave skin red and sore. Blistering burns may trigger fever, chills, headaches, nausea and dehydration — symptoms sometimes referred to as sun poisoning. In extreme cases, the body’s response to prolonged heat and UV exposure can contribute to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
It’s not just skin that can get damaged; the eyes are vulnerable too.
The World Health Organization estimates that 15 million people are blind due to cataracts, and of these, about 10 percent may be due to UV radiation. Higher lifetime exposure has also been linked to early age-related macular degeneration, and photokeratitis — essentially a sunburn on the cornea — can cause temporary vision loss, although this is rare. And skin cancers can occur on the eyelid. “It’s important for people to know that there is no good sunburn,” Skelsey says.
Preventing a sunburn is important at 50-plus
Even though skin cancer can result from decades of sun damage, protecting your skin still matters as you get older. One reason, writes dermatologist Dr. Robert A. Norman, for the Skin Cancer Foundation: “We never know exactly how much damage will trigger a skin cancer, but one bad burn in older age may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”
What’s more, age-related changes — including a weaker immune system and thinner skin — make it harder for the body to fight off damage to the skin.
“It’s not right to say, ‘The damage is already done; too late.’ Because our skin continues to accumulate sun damage and mutations,” Hale says.
“Everybody knows what your skin looks like in places that the sun doesn’t shine,” Skelsey adds. “When you compare [those areas] with sun-exposed areas, you see how much difference there is. And that difference only continues if you’re still getting sunburns and sun exposure after the age of 50.”
The good news: There are steps you can take to prevent sun damage at any age.
Avoid direct sun during peak hours — about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — and use basic protection such as a wide-brimmed hat, UV-blocking sunglasses and loose-fitting clothing, the Skin Cancer Foundation advises.
In fact, clothing can be one of the most effective forms of sun protection. Darker or more vivid colors absorb more UV radiation, preventing it from reaching the skin. As a rule of thumb, if you can see light through a fabric, UV rays can likely pass through it. Experts also recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher for everyday use and SPF 50 for extended time outdoors. Apply about two tablespoons for full-body coverage 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating.
“I always tell my patients: The best sunscreen is the one you actually use, because there are so many,” Hale says.
Another important part of prevention is seeing a board-certified dermatologist once a year for a full-body skin exam. During the brief screening, your doctor can identify problems before they become cancer, or even spot skin cancer early, when it’s easier to treat.
“It’s important to realize that skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the United States, but what people really need to understand is that it’s also the most preventable,” Hale says.
Recognizing the warning signs of skin cancer
Since sun damage can take years to appear, it’s important to know the warning signs of skin cancer as you get older.
Not all skin cancers present the same way or carry the same risk. “At least 90 percent of all skin cancers are related to ultraviolet exposure,” Hale says. “But there’s a difference between melanoma and the non-melanoma skin cancers, which are basal and squamous cell carcinoma.”
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer and the one most directly tied to intense UV exposure — the burning rays that induce DNA mutations. Caught late, it can be fatal.
A common warning sign of melanoma is a new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape or color, or a spot that looks different from all the other spots on your skin, the American Cancer Society explains. Other signs of melanoma can include:
- A sore that doesn’t heal
- Redness or new swelling around the border of a mole
- Itchiness, tenderness or pain around a mole
- Scaliness, oozing or bleeding on the surface of a mole
In white individuals, melanoma typically appears on sun-exposed areas such as the face, back and legs. In Black patients, however, the cancer can appear in less obvious places, such as the palms, soles, toes and fingernails and toenails, Taylor says, and it tends to be diagnosed at later stages.
Basal and squamous cell carcinomas are very common — though less common in people with darker skin — and usually very treatable, the American Cancer Society says.
Basal cell skin cancers usually develop on areas exposed to the sun, and warning signs in lighter skin can include:
- Small bumps (first pink, red, translucent, shiny or white in color) that might have blue, brown or black areas
- Pink growths with raised edges that may have blood vessels spreading out from the centers
- Flat, firm, pale or yellow areas, similar to a scar
- Raised reddish patches that might be itchy
- Open sores that don’t heal
Squamous cell skin cancers also tend to appear on sun-exposed areas, especially in people with lighter skin. However, in people with darker skin, they’re more likely to appear in areas that aren’t often exposed to the sun. The American Cancer Society says warning signs for this type of skin cancer can include:
- Rough or scaly red (or darker) patches, which might crust or bleed
- Raised growths or lumps
- Open sores that don’t heal, or that heal and then come back
- Wart-like growths
Joyce Sampson is a journalist who writes about health and wellness, among other topics. Her work has appeared in Montgomery Magazine and Brain & Life Magazine.
